__/ [ B Gruff ] on Monday 13 March 2006 15:36 \__
> On Monday 13 March 2006 13:44 billwg wrote:
>
>>
>> "Roy Schestowitz" <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
>> news:dv35jh$t5n$2@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>> http://portland.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2006/03/13/story5.html
>>>
>>> ,----[ India interested in state's open source developments ]
>>> | Indian commercial interests want to do more business with
>>> | Oregon, especially in the open source software arena.
>>> `----
>>
>> Be honest now, roy, aren't you just a little bit doubtful of the wisdom
>> of using an operating system and applications created by people working
>> for the fun of it all? The people pandering to the process are
>> interested in "supporting you" and charge about the same as commercial
>> companies charge for the product license with support. They just don't
>> have any control over development paths and schedules. Seems risky to
>> me to let your business depend on this kind of infrastructure.
>
> While you are at it Roy, please consider this also, and *do* be honest
> about it:-
>
> 1. Do you think that it's a good idea that *all* Operating Systems used in
> your country are developed and manufactured in another country?
>
> 2. - that the code it a closely guarded secret, so that you will be unaware
> of any back-doors, dial-home, etc. inclusions?
>
> 3. - that you have no control over that code, and have only those
> facilities that a foreign corporation deems that you should have?
>
> 4. - that the formats used by your software are themselves closed,
> proprietary, secret, and that you have no say in their evolution?
>
> 5. - that all your documents etc. are accessible by you *only* if you are
> licensed to access them via software from a foreign corporation?
>
> 6. - would you like to estimate the Balance of Payments effect of countries
> the size of China, India etc, when they become more developed, licensing
> all this S/W from abroad?
>
> 7. - what will happen if/when the U.S. government forbids (for its own
> purposes) the sale of software to your country (as it used to do with
> encryption technology)?
>
> 8. - have you considered the implications of that sentence from baa-lamb:-
> "They just don't have any control over development paths and schedules"?
> Baa-lamb is, of course, referring to Open Source as "they" here.
> He seems to be oblivious to the possibility (probability) of a "we" in this
> respect! i.e. he himself is saying that if you do *not* go Open Source,
> the alternative is that an American Corporation controls *your* development
> paths and schedules! If you are prepared to go by another route, you are
> free (by funding it if needs) to develop software that meets your own
> needs, have complete control over your own development paths and schedules,
> and to employ people in your own country to manufacture and support it.
>
> 9. - do you consider that baa-lamb is talking a load of nonsense?
> (you may take that as rhetorical!)
Baa-lamb does not bother or demotivate anyone. I am often tempted to an-
swer the trolls, though I think it would be best if all abstained from do-
ing so. Ultimately, they would leave with their (miniature) 'tail' between
their legs and find a new hobby.
Meanwhile, this group reflects on /reality/. I am no wishful thinker and I
state this as an actual fact. The posts here project on a serious trans-
formation _while it is happening_. The news are beginning to flood with
more and more 'linux' and 'open source' news every week. It has become a
handful; hand to keep track of.
Millions of computers at homes, businesses and even government agencies
are gradually transformed onto GNU/Linux 'Open Source' solutions. Often
this is done without attracting media attention. It starts in the machine
rooms and continues with courageoss users who want to learn the O/S of the
future. They also become independent and cater for their own needs, fully
aware of the consequences.
Meanwhile, I read news such as (the past few hours):
-Microsoft pause work on their so-called 'Photoshop killer'. The reason,
as was mentioned in the article, is the troubled Vista. Microsoft must
fight for survival rather than extend their breadth and extinguish Adobe
(they also want to kill OpenGL and Flash and use their latest-generation
toolkits to assist it)
Sales of PC are slowing down, which is terrible news for Vista. Only half
of today's hardware can run Vista properly (fact!). This summer, Novell
will release their latest of SuSE (with XGL), so people will choose to up-
grade -- not the hardware, but the software. They will upgrade to Linux,
which will involve a free download or 20 quid for a CD pack (putting aside
Ubuntu and others for the the argument's sake).
I preferred not to post the two items listed above to the newsgroup. I try
not to discuss the weaknesses of Windows because a Microsoft suicide is
not the cause for demise. It is an exponentially-growing Linux community
that made it grow quickly since its birth, only 15 years ago.
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