Re: [SLUG] Some thoughts on "The Speech"

From: Robert Haeckl (rhaeckl@tampabay.rr.com)
Date: Fri May 04 2001 - 12:17:49 EDT


OSS is UnAmerican......

Funny that us Americans (as well as the rest of humankind) can now go to
stores such as CompUSA and find an entire row of software that is
dedicated to a platform other than M$.

Funny that we can buy hardware at a local computer store that doesn't
just reveal that it "works" with M$ but also labels it as compatible
with Linux.

Funny that salespeople at these stores are quick to answer that
such-n-such product will certainly work with Linux: "sure it works with
Linux...I use it as well as some of my friends and businesses that buy
from us...".

Looks like somebodies are making a buck and it isn't just M$.

Apparently, Linux is very much the American way. I just doubt that you
can create a garage-based OS and turn it into a super multi-billion
dollar conglomerate in a matter of a few years and have complete control
of your market for the foreseeable future using Linux...at the least
you'll have to deal with competition to do it. But even for mighty M$,
the future is not so foreseeable now.

In a way, control may now still include programmers and IT's. Instead
of being at the mercy of one companies web of licenses and controlled
policies, a company can buy their software needs at a reasonable price
and then can afford to buy the talents of programmers to upgrade and
enhance the software as they see fit. A companies ability to thrive
will be a product of THEIR good programming, good SA's, good marketing,
and good management skills. To me, this is very much the American way
and something that most in this business will embrace eventually.

Robert

> Thus saith the misguided Craig Mundie (poor guy):
> "(Supporters of the GPL) ask software developers to give away
> for free the very thing they create that is of greatest value, in the
> hope that, somehow, they'll make money selling something else,"



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