Devdas Bhagat wrote: > On Tue, Feb 19, 2008 at 09:27:31PM +0530, Rony wrote: > >> >> There are not many FOSS engineers available to service FOSS based >> computers. It brings to my mind a question for all:- >> > > Computer servicing needs a technician, not an engineer. Given good > hardware, and reasonable maintainance (like installing needed upgrades), > Unixy solutions work _very_ well. Given bad hardware, it's just easier > to fix Windows temporarily. > >
Computer maintainence involves a sound knowledge of installed software. Plain hardware is of no use to the customer. > >> Another problem is that FOSS is ready for the people, but people are not >> ready for FOSS. Both users as well as programmers/developers. A guy >> working for one of the biggest software companies in India told me that >> FOSS programmers are few and too expensive. Windows based pros are >> > > FOSS programmers are exactly as expensive as Windows programmers. > Actually, except for those who need to work at the really low end, the > skills needed are pretty much the same. > > I got the information from a programmer working for a giant Indian software company. >> available in lots. Software giants that make banking software use things >> like dot net for banking solutions. How can such software be expected to >> run on FOSS? Everyone is looking at the economical side of hiring >> cheaper programmers who are available by the dozen. >> >> > Average programmers are more expensive. It is actually cheaper to hire a > few good programmers than to hire a hundred average ones. There is > plenty of stuff in the computing management literature about this. > (Ref: Facts and fallacies of software engineering - Robert Glass, > Peopleware - DeMarco and Lister, The Mythical Man Month - Fred Brooks > for example). > > > Agreed. Since closed platforms are popular, training and learning is concentrated in that area, so getting programmers for that platform is easier. -- Regards, Rony. GNU/Linux ! No Viruses No Spyware Only Freedom. -- http://mm.glug-bom.org/mailman/listinfo/linuxers
