On Wed, 31 Oct 2001, Bruce Dawson wrote: > OK, so what business isn't. Well, I dunno about Codemeta, but Net Technologies sure isn't. :-)
> Is Linux already losing ground to Microsoft? Which ground? The biggest conceptual problem people have with Linux/Open Source/Free Software is that it does not follow conventional rules. The classic example is the product approval process. For the longest time, according to the industry trade rags, no one was using Linux. They asked the CEOs, and senior IT managers, and other higher-ups, and they all said they had never heard of Linux. Of course, as often as not, their network infrastructure had been depending on Linux for years -- they just never knew about it. Linux enters from the group up, while commercial software filters down from the top. (Actually, this is more directly attributable to the open nature of Internet protocols, which are designed to interoperate in a decentralized environment, as opposed to traditional commercial software, which is very much assumes you have a master plan controlling the whole thing. But I digress.) I think this quote says it best: "We are Linux. Resistance is an indication that you have missed the point." Free Software is about Freedom. It is about different things working together, rather than a single company (e.g., Microsoft) controlling the whole show. Linux wins because it gives you that choice. Linux does not win or lose ground. People decide their ground belongs with Linux. -- Ben Scott <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> | The opinions expressed in this message are those of the author and do not | | necessarily represent the views or policy of any other person, entity or | | organization. All information is provided without warranty of any kind. | ***************************************************************** To unsubscribe from this list, send mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the text 'unsubscribe gnhlug' in the message body. *****************************************************************
