RE: Why Aren't Open Source Tools Being Considered?

["Bonnie Granat" <bgranat -at- granatedit -dot- com>]

> [mailto:bounce-techwr-l-137490 -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On Behalf 
> Of Mitchell Maltenfort
> 
> What people gain from contributing to an open source project is the
> potential availability of a new tool, and the networking potential of
> making their skills known to the technical community. What they give
> up are exclusive rights to the tool they're helping to develop; anyone
> can use it.  In the cash money world, programmers would expect to pay
> money for our tools and for networking opportunities, and to earn
> money for selling the code they produce.    It's still swapping value
> for value, but it bypasses the use of money.
> 

I see. So there's real "profit" here, then, but not in the classic sense of
the word. Thanks. This makes sense. 

> Open source programmers, like other programmers,  get money from being
> hired by corporations to work on specific proprietary projects. 
> Contributing to open source just gives them more visibility.  

Like volunteer work of any kind that's done with the intention of advancing
oneself. Why is there, then, the attempt to glorify it, I wonder.

Whether
> it costs them potential business is debatable.  Consumers, academics
> and small businesses can get by nicely on open source software.  Large
> corporations have larger concerns, both in terms of complexity and
> security.  Note that Red Hat, arguably the most visible Linux company,
> has abandoned support of the "desktop" market to focus on the
> enterprise-level market.
> 

I'm a small business and I think I'll stay with Microsoft Word. ; ) (A very
small business, I might add.)

> That's my $0.01, to put a realistic price tag on my opinions.

Ah, but they were worth considerably more to me, Mitch. I'll give you a free
500-word edit for your offering, as a matter of fact, if you ever want one.


Bonnie Granat | http://www.GranatEdit.com
bgranat -at- granatedit -dot- com
Cambridge, Massachusetts, US



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