Comments on: Open Source and the Economy http://www.pythian.com/news/1311/open-source-and-the-economy/ News and views from Pythian DBAs Sat, 20 Mar 2010 20:27:09 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: alex http://www.pythian.com/news/1311/open-source-and-the-economy/#comment-296285 alex Sun, 02 Nov 2008 06:07:33 +0000 http://www.pythian.com/blogs/1311/open-source-and-the-economy#comment-296285 giving LINUX away for free is price dumping. how Microsoft reacted was to add coupons to certain PC magazines, so people could order a service pack when they really need it. WIKIPEDIA is simply stealing workforce from the people. and amending all rights to data in the name of creative commons and GDFL is not the way to go (for instance, MIXX). OPENSOURCE is often indeed closed source. there are no PDFs and help files, no documentation, sometimes even the source code is not documentated at all. it might be possible to recompile some parts, but no one can really maintain it without insider knowledge. and yet, sometimes there are files missing. you need to know someone to get in! price dumping the market with "free software" is not very social. they should go commercial with their LINUX etc., if they want to survive. if i use LINUX for some purpose, i want a commercial product, consumer rights etc. GPL does not include any obligation to documentate, only that it is not allowed to modify GPL itself. who really writes letters to the FSF? so it is some sort of fake, and indeed says nothing. people have been able to give away software before GPL, and they will be after GPL. giving LINUX away for free is price dumping.

how Microsoft reacted was to add coupons to certain PC magazines, so people could order a service pack when they really need it.

WIKIPEDIA is simply stealing workforce from the people.

and amending all rights to data in the name of creative commons and GDFL is not the way to go (for instance, MIXX).

OPENSOURCE is often indeed closed source.
there are no PDFs and help files, no documentation, sometimes even the source code is not documentated at all.
it might be possible to recompile some parts, but no one can really maintain it without insider knowledge.

and yet, sometimes there are files missing.
you need to know someone to get in!

price dumping the market with “free software” is not very social. they should go commercial with their LINUX etc., if they want to survive.

if i use LINUX for some purpose, i want a commercial product, consumer rights etc.

GPL does not include any obligation to documentate, only that it is not allowed to modify GPL itself.
who really writes letters to the FSF?
so it is some sort of fake, and indeed says nothing.

people have been able to give away software before GPL, and they will be after GPL.

]]> By: Lukas http://www.pythian.com/news/1311/open-source-and-the-economy/#comment-293519 Lukas Fri, 24 Oct 2008 13:22:03 +0000 http://www.pythian.com/blogs/1311/open-source-and-the-economy#comment-293519 I also think that most people that get company time to work on OSS stuff, also put a fair amount of spare time on top of that for OSS stuff. Few of us just clock out and turn our computers off. I also think that most people that get company time to work on OSS stuff, also put a fair amount of spare time on top of that for OSS stuff. Few of us just clock out and turn our computers off.

]]> By: Sheeri Cabral http://www.pythian.com/news/1311/open-source-and-the-economy/#comment-293105 Sheeri Cabral Thu, 23 Oct 2008 13:15:15 +0000 http://www.pythian.com/blogs/1311/open-source-and-the-economy#comment-293105 Arjen, What you say is true in theory. However you can't get a job that you don't apply for. And if you're crunched for money, you're more apt to work on finding a job than on building your portfolio. Sadly, it's hard to buy groceries with "I'm building my portfolio," even though as you point out, it's a good investment. You agree that money is not a motivator. However I was careful to use terms like "benefits" to cover more than just money. The volunteer OSS developers I know don't submit code to gain respect. It's a fringe benefit, just as money is. And just as money is, it's still gravy. Arjen,

What you say is true in theory. However you can’t get a job that you don’t apply for. And if you’re crunched for money, you’re more apt to work on finding a job than on building your portfolio.

Sadly, it’s hard to buy groceries with “I’m building my portfolio,” even though as you point out, it’s a good investment.

You agree that money is not a motivator. However I was careful to use terms like “benefits” to cover more than just money. The volunteer OSS developers I know don’t submit code to gain respect. It’s a fringe benefit, just as money is. And just as money is, it’s still gravy.

]]> By: Arjen Lentz http://www.pythian.com/news/1311/open-source-and-the-economy/#comment-292938 Arjen Lentz Thu, 23 Oct 2008 00:55:44 +0000 http://www.pythian.com/blogs/1311/open-source-and-the-economy#comment-292938 Yea see I'm not sure it'll really drop. If a good coder is in need of a job, sitting at home isn't going to fix that. Nor is running around locally, often. They will need to get the word out that they're a good coder, and that is best done by producing real code for real tools and applications out there. SO I reckon, good coders who are smart also will actually increase their contributions, either more into specific projects or into more different projects. It makes sense from their job-marketing perspective! And I agree fully with you on the motivation. Money is not a motivator for OSS contributions. Yea see I’m not sure it’ll really drop. If a good coder is in need of a job, sitting at home isn’t going to fix that. Nor is running around locally, often. They will need to get the word out that they’re a good coder, and that is best done by producing real code for real tools and applications out there. SO I reckon, good coders who are smart also will actually increase their contributions, either more into specific projects or into more different projects.
It makes sense from their job-marketing perspective!

And I agree fully with you on the motivation. Money is not a motivator for OSS contributions.

]]>