On Tue, 2002-04-09 at 21:37, Yehuda Drori wrote: > hi... > > I would like to raise a point about OPEN SOURCE.. > I think there are a lot of human resources getting wasted with OPEN SOURCE > projects. > > I've written a review where I spill my gut about it at: > > http://whatsup.org.il/modules.php?name=Reviews&rop=showcontent&id=7 > > and I would like you to response to that..
A couple of points you might have missed: 1. The number of succeful Open Source and Free Software projects is much higher then 1: Apache, Perl, the entire DNS system that holds the Internet together (BIND), Python, The GCC compiler suite and friends, the most commonly used tool of this kind in the world and I can go on, but I think you got the message.Open Source/Free Software has enabled much of that "commercial" (Free/Open Software can be commercial too, but you know what I mean) has built upon - take the socket implmentation in windows as an example. And you know what? this is a good thing. 2. As a vetern of Planet StartUp, I can tell you that there are many more "commercial" products that died en route that you simply haven't heard about. In Open & Free Softwsare everything is public, including the mishaps, but not seeing something does not mean it does not exist. 3. MS Office is not the best product, it's simply the most sold. This qualities have a very strange link between the two which is not linear. I have to use Office a lot at my current job (which btw I quit and be off in another week to a new job ;-)) and all I can simply say is that I am far from considering Office powerful or easy to use. Most people who sing Office praise are simply not aware of any other way to do what they want. I am all too aware of other ways. How many times have you seen someone write a simple totally text table in Excel because "the lines are already there"? I guess when you have a hammer, everything starts to look like a nail... 4. To assume that we should somehow benefit from "central planning" is to assume that there is someone, or even a group of people, who knows what's best. This is in some way the premise behind "commercial" software entreprises such as microsoft or Oracle. They tell the customer: "sit back, relax, let big daddy take care of everything". Well, the first time I ever saw Linus Torvalds in real life he was on the stage of LinuxWorld and answered some questions from the panel. When it was time to finish the talk, he was asked if he has any message to the "troops" in the hall. Knowing Torvalds is unexpected, I was prepared for everything, except what he said, which was (quoting from memory):" People with messages are boring. Think for yoursleves. Do what you like" or something very similar. I felt that if that was a Zen Koan, the next line would have been: "Hearing this, Gilad was enlightened". ;-) 5. last and very much not least: you seem to be trying to make the making of software more efficient. Why? who are you competing with? Open & Free software are works of art. The great Chefs do not try to compete with Mcdonalds with the number of customers served. Do you not ENJOY writing software? what are you doing here if not? OK, I'll get off my soap box now. Have a nice day. ;-) Gilad ================================================================= To unsubscribe, send mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the word "unsubscribe" in the message body, e.g., run the command echo unsubscribe | mail [EMAIL PROTECTED]
