Yep, me too. I was a teacher before I got into the computer racket. Now I'm going back into it. I think that the IBM statement shows us two significant things. The first is that corporate America is comprised of Lemmings, my apologies to real Lemmings, and second that we have lost out way and are no longer exhibiting any rational behavior.
Reading the IBM statements makes me realize that this cost cutting and improving the lot of the whole world is all spin aimed at trying to deflect the inevitable cries of treachery. Since when has IBM become altruistic? IBM hasn't changed one Iota since the early days of computing, they will still do and say anything to make a buck now matter what the fallout. It's time for one of our leading firms, one with integrity, to stand up and say that this is stupid and that they will not kill the goose for a few pieces of silver.
It's funny, at first I thought open source software was a really good idea. The software itself, IMHO, is as good as any commercial software. The problem lies in the fact that there is no profit to be made from open software and there is not cost of production. Since there is no transfer of money there is no chance for any money to change hands or get into the hands of ordinary people who will spend it on goods and services thus creating more demand for goods and services. The bottom line is that economic activity is aborted before it has a chance to live.
An argument can be made that that money will be spent elsewhere. Sure enough it will no doubt be spent but not necessarily on IT or software development. In retrospect I think that it was a tragedy of monumental proportions to give away the store enableing the eventual export of whole industrial sectors. Read some of the other articles on/. concerning this.
Of course OSS is not the sole cause of all our economic woes but coupled with the Internet it is a major contributing factor to the disappearance of many tech jobs here in the US. Outsourcing will not stop with IT, IT is just the tip of the Iceberg, just wait.
Any university students out there in the US considering majoring in any kind of exportable field should think long and hard about becomming a Plummer because we always will need fresh water and facilities. The rest can be outsourced or gotten for free.
----EClaudius
Slashdot Mirror
Yep, me too. I was a teacher before I got into the computer racket. Now I'm going back into it. I think that the IBM statement shows us two significant things. The first is that corporate America is comprised of Lemmings, my apologies to real Lemmings, and second that we have lost out way and are no longer exhibiting any rational behavior. Reading the IBM statements makes me realize that this cost cutting and improving the lot of the whole world is all spin aimed at trying to deflect the inevitable cries of treachery. Since when has IBM become altruistic? IBM hasn't changed one Iota since the early days of computing, they will still do and say anything to make a buck now matter what the fallout. It's time for one of our leading firms, one with integrity, to stand up and say that this is stupid and that they will not kill the goose for a few pieces of silver.
Maybe the strategy is to infect Al-Quaida computers and hand help devices with Microsoft software.
It's funny, at first I thought open source software was a really good idea. The software itself, IMHO, is as good as any commercial software. The problem lies in the fact that there is no profit to be made from open software and there is not cost of production. Since there is no transfer of money there is no chance for any money to change hands or get into the hands of ordinary people who will spend it on goods and services thus creating more demand for goods and services. The bottom line is that economic activity is aborted before it has a chance to live. An argument can be made that that money will be spent elsewhere. Sure enough it will no doubt be spent but not necessarily on IT or software development. In retrospect I think that it was a tragedy of monumental proportions to give away the store enableing the eventual export of whole industrial sectors. Read some of the other articles on /. concerning this.
Of course OSS is not the sole cause of all our economic woes but coupled with the Internet it is a major contributing factor to the disappearance of many tech jobs here in the US. Outsourcing will not stop with IT, IT is just the tip of the Iceberg, just wait.
Any university students out there in the US considering majoring in any kind of exportable field should think long and hard about becomming a Plummer because we always will need fresh water and facilities. The rest can be outsourced or gotten for free.
----EClaudius