Re: [uug] Open Source vs. Closed Source software

[Stuart Jansen]

On Thu, 2005-03-24 at 17:49 -0700, Grant Robinson wrote:
> I think that Open source software definitely has it's place.  But I 
> also think that commercial software (be it libre or non-libre) has it's 
> place as well.  If I had a killer app that had the potential to make me 
> a lot of money, I have to say that I would probably sell it, and I 
> wouldn't be handing out my source code to every Tom, Dick, and Harry.  

And that's your right.

But let me ask you this: Do you feel sorry for blacksmiths? The
industrial revolution basically ended their profession. The only
blacksmiths today are artists or highly skilled workers serving a tiny
niche.

Proprietary programmers are the blacksmiths of today. It will take
decades to play out, but I seismic shift is underway. 

And I think that's a good thing. 

We all know people who became programmers for the money, but generally
aren't very good, and often aren't much fun to work with.I see a little
shrinking of the job market as a positive, let to move on to
bio-engineering or something else.

In addition, I look forward to ending the incentive for companies to run
their workers ragged to be the first to market. Not all "innovation" is
positive as the .bomb years demonstrated.

Of course, I don't expect you to agree with me yet. I'm a new-luddite. I
think that several aspects of societies relationship with technology
need to be fundamentally changed. I see F/OSS and a return to more open
research approaches in the sciences as part of the solution.

-- 
Stuart Jansen                   e-mail/jabber: [EMAIL PROTECTED]

"XML is like violence: if it doesn't solve your problem, you aren't
using enough of it." - Chris Maden

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