>> Only one problem with that thought, If all those companies
>> went out of business then everyone would simply crack the install.
There are legal issues with cracking the install. I cannot choose that
route for business deployment.
>>If novell died tommarow would you still want to use Suse 5 years from now?
Perhaps, but that is MY choice.
We still have a 486-based Pick system running at work. It runs a custom
application and there is no commercial product that can directly replace it.
I'm writing it's SQL-based replacement, and that will take a long time to
develop. After weighing the options, I chose Linux/Apache/MySQL/PHP. It's
an internal-use system, not exposed to the Internet, and allows me to use
Windows, Mac, Linux or Palm clients using the exact same code. Some of the
client PCs are Win95 based, tied to CNC machine controllers, and won't run
recent versions of Internet Explorer. Firefox worked, so once again open
source solved the issue. Had I chosen ASP, would I be forced to change it
to ASP.NET somewhere along the road?
As a matter of fact, that server is SuSE-based. I can run it as long as I
want, and move any of the GPL stuff to as many servers as I want, connecting
as many users as I want. I can even move it to a Windows server running
Apache/MySQL/PHP.
An earlier project for another client was based on NT 3.51, and they would
need additional CALs (Client Access Licenses) from Microsoft before the
server will talk to more clients. Naturally, MS doesn't want to sell NT
3.51 CALs, suggesting they upgrade to Server 2003. Windows 2003 64-bit
versions do not support COM, so that will be the next watershed.
>> Opensouce is a wierd thing. You talk bout people will pick it up
>> I found out that is seldom the case.
Yes, I agree.
>> Products that I find that will survive are Commercial backed
>> projects and Huge monolitic projects with a large number of
>> programmers wear loosing 1 or 5 programmers are not a big deal.
Agreed.
>> Debain - There Army of programmers They just simply win in the numbers
game.
Ah, you've made my point for me. AT&T (the vendor of UNIX) kept altering
the license, and closed the source code. But the product was good enough
that today we have a complete replacements - GNU/Linux and BSD.
>> But the small single man or small group projects are the ones
>> that are going to die and stay dead.
Agreed.
>> No one going to pick them up and if some
>> one did 2 years later am I still going to be interested.
Maybe. I only care that _I_ have that option.
I realize we are talking about apples and oranges here. I agree with you
that if a product isn't popular enough, it can die no matter if its open or
closed source. But if you have to build something that might be running for
20 years, it is really nice to have source code and the GPL, rather than
deal with different EULAs, legal issues, and a vendor unwilling to sell me
another license.
I believe your point is that most projects die, even though it is _possible_
for someone to pick up a dead product, it is rare for that to happen. And I
agree with your point. And I think we can agree that closed source apps put
the users at the mercy of the owner of the code. Open source + GPL allows
for the possibility of a continued life, no matter what the vendor wants.
Ken Elliott
=====================
-----Original Message-----
From: slug@nks.net [mailto:slug@nks.net] On Behalf Of Robert Snyder
Sent: Saturday, July 30, 2005 8:13 AM
To: slug@nks.net
Subject: Re: [SLUG] Biased Paranoia Against Open Source (Was Online File
Archive)
On 7/29/05, Ken Elliott <kelliott4@tampabay.rr.com> wrote:
> >> Yes and when the vendor dies your screwed. So when Linux dies, were
all
> screwed.
>
> Perhaps my point was missed.
>
> With open source, I am not held hostage to the vendor being in business.
>
> If Autodesk, Microsoft, Adobe and Macromedia decide not to give out
> activation codes, or go out of business, you won't be able to install the
> software. If Novell goes out of business, I can still install and use
SuSE.
> Ditto with Red Hat, Debian, NetBSD, and all the open source products.
Only one problem with that thought, If all those companies went out
of business then everyone would simply crack the install. Using
generated activation keys. Every program out there but those
companies has been sliced and diced and served up on the p2p table.
If novell died it would mean that could you still install Suse yes but
who is going to keep putting out security updates? Who is going to
update packages when platfoms change If novell died tommarow would you
still want to use Suse 5 years from now?
Opensouce is a wierd thing. You talk bout people will pick it up I
found out that is seldom the case. Too many projects that I use to
follow have been dead for 3 years. No one has come around and decided
hey lets me spend my free time coding and contributing to this
project. 4 of my favorite projects have died because of MONEY. They
work they get more responbility or they have to work alot more because
a baby on its way, you name it so they have to stop working on it,
and it always seems to follow the same problem. One person leaves
then slowly everyone else leaves.
Products that I find that will surive are Commerical backed projects
and Huge monolitic projects with a large number of programmers wear
loosing 1 or 5 programmers are not a big deal.
So things like
EDB which continues to pump new code into Postgres
Codeweavers which every patch they have done to wine is in wine's cvs.
Debain - There Army of programmers They just simply win in the numbers game.
But the small single man or small group projects are the ones that are
going to die and stay dead. No one going to pick them up and if some
one did 2 years later am I still going to be interested.
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