Linux World domination (was Re: [NCLUG] PC for Linux (Ubuntu))

Chad Perrin perrin at apotheon.com
Fri Sep 19 17:27:30 MDT 2008


On Fri, Sep 19, 2008 at 01:49:25PM -0600, John L. Bass wrote:
> Chad Perrin wrote:
> >
> >It's funny you quote this, considering it essentially refutes your own
> >statements to the effect that programmers can't make a living writing
> >software in an all open source world.
> >  
> 
> I have not made that assertion "that programmers can't make a living 
> writing software in an all open source world". I did make the assertion 
> that "an all open source world" (as you state it) would remove a 
> significant salary (profit) incentive for students to formally train in 
> software fields, and would reduce and impair society in the long run. 
> The same can be said about doctors, and other professionals. We can 
> agree to disagree here, as that is another topic to debate.

In that case, you should start offering statements to support that
assertion, rather than statements that can only reasonably be interpreted
as supporting the assertion that living in an all open source world would
mean the end of paid software development.

. . . and, if it *doesn't* mean the end of paid software development, I
really don't see how the incentive to pursue formal training in software
related fields would be eliminated.


> >I'd also note that I don't agree programmers would not get paid as much
> >as they do now.  On the contrary, I believe there would be more money to
> >go around for programmers in an all open source world, because of the
> >chilling effects intellectual monopoly power can have on the tech
> >industry economy by suppressing innovation and favoring market dominating
> >corporate giants whose primary business model is continued dominance by
> >crushing the competition (as opposed to performing well, which is not
> >necessary to such a business model at all)
> A very small amount of software today carries a chilling monopoly with 
> it. Certainly not true for operating systems, where besides MS Win 
> products, we have Apple Mac, UNIX, Open Solaris, Free BSD, Linux of 
> several flavours, and more. There are dozens of competitive shrink wrap 
> titles in nearly every market niche. The lack of MS Win shrink products 
> being ported to Linux desktops, is more because of FOSS advocates which 
> are hostile to shrink wrap binaries, than any sense of monopolies.

Um . . . what?

I didn't say "a chilling monopoly", I said "the chilling effects
intellectual monopoly power can have".  Perhaps you're not aware of it,
but the legal definition of copyright is a limited monopoly power granted
by government.

I'll refrain from responding further to this part of your response until
you rephrase it so it actually addresses what I said.


> 
> Innovation and competition is thriving on proprietary platforms because 
> it, and greatly stifled on Linux platforms for the same reason.

"because it"

I'm afraid I don't understand.


> 
> The chilling effects of mandatory FOSS applications for Linux, block 
> choice, not any monopoly.

This statement does not grammatically parse.  I do not understand what
you are saying.

-- 
Chad Perrin [ content licensed PDL: http://pdl.apotheon.org ]
Reginald Braithwaite: "Nor is it as easy as piling more features on
regardless of how well they fit or whether people will actually use
them. Otherwise Windows would have 97% of the market and OS X 3%. (Oh
wait.)"
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