| The Windows are open - or are they? |
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| by Sam Varghese | |
| Monday, 25 September 2006 | |
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Page 2 of 2 Featured Whitepaper
5 Best Practices for Smartphone Support
Raymond sees a window of opportunity for Linux until 2008 because of the expected release next year of a new iteration of Windows, codenamed Vista. There's plenty more in the interview - Raymond isn't short of words when it comes to espousing his ideas - but the basic idea is that it's fine to make these compromises to get ahead. When people begin using Linux or other open source technologies, talk about "world domination" and similar things sounds very attractive. Once one becomes a more mature user, one realises that this really isn't that important. Developers generally start out creating something to scratch a personal itch and later this may morph into a full-blown project that makes its creator very rich. The web server Apache was born this way - indeed its name is drawn from the three words A Patchy Server which is what it was initially called. If the original creator of software released under an open license decides to move to something else, someone else can always take the ball and run with it. This is the beauty of software released under terms such as those in the General Public License. And while developers alone can make the software move ahead, others don't have to sit by and watch idly - they can contribute their mite in other ways to make the project viable. After the Linux phenomenon, several companies started out with the motive of enriching themselves by using free and open source software. For the individuals behind such enterprises, the means is chosen only because it lends itself to a better image than proprietary software. One isn't going to name names, but those who read this will know the score. There is a fine line to be drawn here - nobody expects developers to eat code and be satisfied. Everyone needs money to live. What makes it unpalatable is when greed gets in the way of something which was born entirely of idealism.{moscomment} |
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