Good article on why Open Source has'nt caught on and most likly NEVER will

[Zebo]

<a target=new class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://www.stardock.com/stardock/articles/article_ossproblems.html">
The fact is, software used by everyday people is almost always better created by commercial entities. That's because while it may be a pain in the butt to put a GUI wrapper on the configuration or have documentation explaining in simple terms how things work on it, it is necessary to do these things so that non-techies can use your product. </a>

 

[ElFenix]

thats why theres a lot of open source penetration in the server market.

or course, there was a lot of unix use there already

but, i think you'll find that as computers become more common in poor areas of the world (AKA the vast majority of people) you'll have more freeware usage.

 

[Zebo]

I doubt it. In Shanhai you can get Office XP for $1.50 or less on any street corner. Why not stay compatable. I do agree with your statement if the rest of the world actually gave a damn about our copyright/intellectual property laws though.

 

[heartsurgeon]

Good article on why Open Source has'nt caught on and most likly NEVER will

never is a mighty long time.....
i would'nt be so sure of that.

 

[Kevin]

Support is the biggest thing holding Open Source back...

 

[Zebo]

This is from the dude who owns the company which makes windowBlinds and the new game galciv BTW.


HS- you sound like my dad Yes never is a long time but I mean in the forseeable future considering things cited in the article and linux is still not to be found on grandmas and secretary janes desktop.

 

[CPA]

Along different lines, but leading to the same conclusion, can someone explain to me how open source will ever become the leader in software development if people don't get paid for it. How long will someone actually work for free? Or maybe I am missing the whole concept of open source.

 

[SuperTool]

It's like Internet boom. We aren't making any money, we can't explain how we are ever going to make any money, but we are growing marketshare, and that's all that matters. It's all BS.
There is a lot of hype, basically saying that all developers and engineers working on proprietary stuff should just pack our bags, and wait for college kids to come up with free stuff that they do for fun.
Basically, they are saying there shouldn't be companies trying to make their customer demands for money, but customers should just sit around and wait till some college kid decides to write some free software, and then make do with what he wrote.
The reason a lot of these kids write open source software is same reason high school kids volunteer, it helps them get to the next level, be it college or a career. It looks good on a resume. But if all you got to look forward to is working for free all your life, there is no longer an incentive.
Companies developing proprietary software are getting a lot of heat now from so called "analysts." They are basically saying, why the hell are you guys still innovating? Just wait for some amateurs and college kids to do it. These are the same "analysts" who were wondering why companies even care about profits, and not just waste money growing marketshare and website hits.

 

[Zebo]

How long will someone actually work for free?

He addresses this. When they feel like it! Which is why OSS can't compete on the same timetable as a commercial entity in service, quality, documentation, and GUI interface.

Or maybe I am missing the whole concept of open source.

The concept is primarly the recongnition of a good product by your peers. In this case programmers, who don't care about anything other than code and functionality it fulfills. Almost the opposite of what you average user cares about.

 

[sandorski]

Hmm, to say that Open Source hasn't caught on because grandma doesn;t use it, is like saying that lesbianism hasn't caught on because your wife/gf won't do it.

It has "caught on", it just hasn't taken over is all.

 

[WinkOsmosis]

Originally posted by: ElFenix
thats why theres a lot of open source penetration in the server market.

or course, there was a lot of unix use there already

but, i think you'll find that as computers become more common in poor areas of the world (AKA the vast majority of people) you'll have more freeware usage.

Or more piracy.

 

[Zebo]

Originally posted by: sandorski
Hmm, to say that Open Source hasn't caught on because grandma doesn;t use it, is like saying that lesbianism hasn't caught on because your wife/gf won't do it.

It has "caught on", it just hasn't taken over is all.

Dude it's free. If they were giving away free cars you can bet 90% of the popluation would be driving one even if it was a KIA. It has'nt caught on plain and simple to deny it is to deny reality. Cqan I play warcraft III on BSD or linux? Can I run Peachtree Accounting or anyother major business program and more impotrtantly can I run specialized instrumentation like a HP MassSpec running the linux operating system.

 

[Spyro]

Originally posted by: Carbonyl
<a target=new class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://www.stardock.com/stardock/articles/article_ossproblems.html">
The fact is, software used by everyday people is almost always better created by commercial entities. That's because while it may be a pain in the butt to put a GUI wrapper on the configuration or have documentation explaining in simple terms how things work on it, it is necessary to do these things so that non-techies can use your product. </a>

That article is a bit behind the times. And never is a very long time indeed......

 

[Spyro]

Originally posted by: Carbonyl

Originally posted by: sandorski
Hmm, to say that Open Source hasn't caught on because grandma doesn;t use it, is like saying that lesbianism hasn't caught on because your wife/gf won't do it.

It has "caught on", it just hasn't taken over is all.

Dude it's free. If they were giving away free cars you can bet 90% of the popluation would be driving one even if it was a KIA. It has'nt caught on plain and simple to deny it is to deny reality. Cqan I play warcraft III on BSD or linux? Can I run Peachtree Accounting or anyother major business program and more impotrtantly can I run specialized instrumentation like a HP MassSpec running the linux operating system.

Well, I don't even know what the other two things are, but I do know that you can play Warcraft III and quite a few other recent games in Linux, just fine.

 

[Zebo]

Hey spyro this is from the same dude who wrote Galciv. Not saying it adds any credility just thought you might find it interesting.

 

[Spyro]

Originally posted by: Carbonyl
Hey spyro this is from the same dude who wrote Galciv. Not saying it adds any credility just thought you might find it interesting.

Actually what I said earlier is an understatement. I actually consider that article to be purely idiotic, now that I've read the whole thing.

 

[ProviaFan]

Originally posted by: Carbonyl
I doubt it. In Shanhai you can get Office XP for $1.50 or less on any street corner. Why not stay compatable. I do agree with your statement if the rest of the world actually gave a damn about our copyright/intellectual property laws though.

If MS has their way with Palladium, and the RIAA can get the CBDTPA through, there will be (for all practical intents and purposes) no piracy. There will be plenty of pissed off people because they can't use their computers in ways that are legal, but MS or the RIAA doesn't happen to agree with them. Of course, the same technology will make Open Source software hard to use, if not illegal, thus giving MS an (almost) complete monopoly in the OS arena.

 

[yllus]

And now, the counterpoint.

Have-not world more plugged-in than we think

The attitude [in India] toward intellectual property rights was perhaps the most interesting revelation of the trip. While perceptions of piracy in the developing world abound, conversations with law students and policy makers made it very clear that there is actually considerable respect for IP rights.

In fact, government officials went out of their way to call attention to their zero-tolerance for piracy, while students similarly indicated that they complied with their institution's prohibition on copyright infringement.

Interestingly, respect for IP rights did not mean that the students rushed to license popular commercial software. Instead, many students turned to open source software such as Linux, which may be used by end-users at no cost.

The students noted that while academic pricing is available for commercial software, the reduced prices are still beyond the means of many in the developing world. Their choice in complying with anti-piracy programs is not, therefore, to license commercial software but is instead to pursue open source alternatives.

With the educated of the developing world taking up open source, how long can commercial software truly hold out? I wonder how the Open Source movement is doing in China.