.Net Jonesie - Why are Open Source People So Fanatical?

Sunday, August 19, 2007

Why are Open Source People So Fanatical? by Peter

I was waving a quick meeting in a local restaurant last week about some user group activities when we were interupted by someone from the next table. He asked if we worked for Microsoft. We laughed and I said something like yes, but we dont get paid for it. Well it turns out the crowd at the next table worked for a local Open Source development shop and the person who approached us was one of the most 'open source' of them. When I realised this I made a lame joke about how we get paid for our software.

Yes, it was a very lame joke but it turned out he didn't think so. In fact I think he may have taken it a little to personally. So, if your reading this, I'm sorry. I was just attempting a mild wind-up.

However, I really dont get it. Why are so many open source advicates so incredibly sensitive? I have never agreed with the open source fundemantal mantra that many part-time developers is better than a few well paid brialliant ones. Yes, maybe software can cure cancer, foster global peace and be the eternal source of future happiness, but that doesn't mean we all need to have the right to change the code for this to happen.

And will someone please explain to me why they think Microsoft is so anti open source? What a complete crock! Nearly every day I use source code provided free and openly by Microsoft. Ok, so I can't recompile Windows, but do I give a frac? No. In fact I'm sure it would be a much worserer world if every nerd and his pc could modify and recompile KERNEL.EXE. I have no argument with Microsoft making money from software. Sometimes I think they ask too much for their software - especially in this part of the world - but I hardly ever have to pay for it so I dont care that much.

From my very limited field of vision it's all about productivity. If someone can show me a platform that is as productive, powerful, flexible and open as Microsoft's, where it's possible to make lots of money, then I will be happy to consider retraining. Until then, will all you open source preachers please take a pill and calm down!

Sunday, August 19, 2007 9:52:20 PM (New Zealand Standard Time, UTC+12:00)

Comments [2] General |

Monday, August 20, 2007 10:23:57 AM (New Zealand Standard Time, UTC+12:00)

I guess the reason is that people are very social related (they need a socium), people becoming violent when their socium is under pressure (reason for many wars, including the WWII), people are seeking for teritorial and social domination.
Also, when someone is part of the social group and has great believe in something - it is hard to change the opinion even having the facts (remember dark ages, Inquisition, etc.).
Yeah, we are still not much better than our animal friends and You stepped into someone elses teritory :D

The rest of the discussion regarding "Open" and "Free (of charge)" (they are quite a different things, though often mixed) is quite useless, because of the statements before.

Actually, not many people (even those working closely with MS) know that it is quite possible to get the Windows source through Source Licensing Program. And yes, Microsoft is doing a lot of really "Open" stuff. So, I must agree, it is not that closed as many think.
As for being "Free" - thats another story. In some cases I like/must use "free" software, because budget is "free". In the other cases - I know that I can pay money and get something done more quickly.
And in quite many cases the free software is free, because someone (like IBM, Novell, Oracle, small investors, etc.) has paid (or "made an investment", or "spent money on research") for it.

Romualdas

Monday, August 20, 2007 11:57:28 AM (New Zealand Standard Time, UTC+12:00)

For me it's all about open formats - for any given application I use, I can see exactly how that application is laying my data out on disk. It gives me the ability to parse that data and transform it into other formats if I desire. Open source obviously makes this very easy without having to sign a license agreement. That's not to say I don't have respect for what Microsoft are doing, but I think the market is changing and whether they are placed to compete in that new market is the challenge they are continuously facing.

Glynn Foster

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