[TOS] Book Review

Kevin Mark kevin.mark at verizon.net
Tue Jan 25 23:04:18 UTC 2011


On Sun, Jan 23, 2011 at 12:19:52PM -0500, Algot Runeman wrote:
> On 01/23/2011 10:46 AM, tosmaillist.neophyte_rep at 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."
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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> > tos at 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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