On Sun, Jan 23, 2011 at 12:19:52PM -0500, Algot Runeman wrote: > On 01/23/2011 10:46 AM, tosmaillist.neophyte_...@ordinaryamerican.net > wrote: > > The Comingled Code: Open Source and Economic Development. > > By Josh Lerner and Mark Schankerman. MIT Press > > http://www.economist.com/node/17899970?story_id=17899970&CFID=160220568&CFTOKEN=93405755 > > > From the review: > > "Yet the finding that open-source advocates will like least is that > > free programs are not always cheaper." > > > > _______________________________________________ > > tos mailing list > > tos@teachingopensource.org > > http://teachingopensource.org/mailman/listinfo/tos > > > The unfortunate implication of the quotation above is, when using open > source, one must pay for learning how to integrate the software into the > business; and, though it isn't stated, the opposite is also implied: > using proprietary software does not require a cost to integrate into the > business. > > Training and developing the strategy to integrate ANY software is going > to cost money. > > I found the more troubling conclusion was: "It would be wrong, they say, > to see the two types of software as substitutes for another or as > interchangeable." > > Pulling out program X and inserting program Y will always cause > disruption. No two pieces of software are perfect matches in that sense. > So what? > > Pulling out Word Perfect and putting in Microsoft Word caused > disruption. It certainly isn't a factor of open vs. proprietary. > > The review isn't the original book (which I have not read). Reviews are > frequently as much a subjective response as they are objective. > > The review was in The Economist and the book was by economists. That > seems more important than anything else. Free/Open Source is > increasingly important in economic terms. It isn't just somebody's > hobby. The reality is that FOSS is the infrastructure software of the > Internet and is becoming the software of the mobile world. That is > economically significant, and just because FOSS doesn't mean "free of > all costs" isn't that important. > > This mailing list is based on the recognized need to have more > developers ready to participate in FOSS projects and the community > process. It may already be an economically important issue. Outsourcing, > anyone? > > Stand up and be proud you are part of it. Earn the money of your day > job. Keep pushing FOSS, any way you can. > > --Algot > http://mako.cc/writing/hill-when_free_software_isnt_better.html that is a recent post on the idea of 'open source' and why its not such a good point to suggest that its more cost efficient. Because there is no guarantee and its better to start with something being 'free software'
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