Like many high profile OSS ranters, he's ignoring the fact that if most workers try to challenge their company's existing model (the sharecropping model) they are likely to be firebranded in their jobs or worse. Fine if you work for yourself or whatever, not fine if you have bills to pay and a status quo to keep.
We'd all love to get paid to do interesting stuff on exciting platforms (I'm an RHCE, but in my current job we don't even have a Linux box in the building). Unfortunately, boring stuff on Windows keeps the rest of us (and our numbers are dwindling) in jobs.
I might be modded a troll, but then some mods have more time and more idealism, others are pragmatic.
I do a lot of computer-technician stuff on the side, like fixing servers, installing software, repairing computers.
What I really like to do is work on server programming and linux system configuration, but I generally do not get too much call for that. Most of the money I make on the side is usually gained from fixing whatever crappy software incompatiblity problem introduced in the latest version of Internet Explorer or windows.
In specialized industries (read Apartment Management as one) companies tend to have VERY expensive software that only runs well on one version of windows or on one version of Internet Explorer. When the companies who wrote this software went web based they tried to use ActiveX controls to give them the exact same power over user interfaces that they had when they were developing their stuff in Visual Basic or C.
99% of the support calls I get is to go out and return IE to version 5.5 after it breaks compatibility with some overengineered web based application (that depends heavily on ActiveX for cute menus and the like).
To add insult to injury, software companies in these specialized markets tend to like to keep their customer's data close so they cant switch providers. Usually this means that the web based software is hosted on some machine far far away, that no one but them will ever have a chance at debugging.
People try to use their existing models far after they are outdated, and it only hurts the customer. Just ask anyone in the Appartment Management industry how many times they have been burned by vendors.
You could point out to the people that they're sharecropping bigtime, and that they should seriously consider getting together with other companies and funding an Open Source effort to replace their software. It's really a huge risk for them to be dependent on a particular vendor. If talk about risks and costs, I bet they'd get it.
Why doesn't it? It seems like an excellent idea to band together for things you all need, but aren't central to your business. After all, it already happens if several of them use the same software vendor.
I think that an open source solution for several software apps that the appartment industry uses should be developed. This is true for several other specialized industries.
This can be the only way to take back power from the vendors.
I would imagine that convincing the Apartment Managers association would be the way to go to accomplish this, but I would have to have some demo's ready. I have had good luck with setting up linux public access labs at a few appartment complexes, however I want to enhance t
Yes, this is exactly the sort of thing I'm talking about. I'm more of a researcher than a business person, though I make it a point to have some understanding of business concerns. This might be kind of a fun thing to do.
So, you mean that you don't decide over your own life? Calling other people selfish because they have ideals is pretty ugly.
I too have bills to pay, I too have a newborn kid to feed. That doesn't stop me from trying to use what I think is the best technical/ideological platform when I work. Yeah, sure, sometimes I end up "having to" work with Windows. Most of the time though, I tell people that there's an alternative. As a professional, other people I do business with tend to listen to what I say.
>Its having more important things in life rather than an Operating System to think about. Otherwise known as "Having a life".
We'd all love to get paid to do interesting stuff on exciting platforms (I'm an RHCE, but in my current job we don't even have a Linux box in the building). Unfortunately, boring stuff on Windows keeps the rest of us (and our numbers are dwindling) in jobs.
Yep. That's a life. Doing stuff for a huge part of your life that you don't really want. Great. Where do I sign up?
> Like many high profile OSS ranters, he's ignoring the fact that if most workers try to challenge their company's existing model
Agreed.
I think he's ignoring something even more fundamental: OSS locks you into the same moving-target APIs and environments. Be it libc5/glibc, QT, Gnome, KDE, or any other substantial "farm", things are going to change beyond your control. Bugs are going to get fixed in newer versions, while your older library version is ignored by the developers.
I think he's ignoring something even more fundamental: OSS locks you into the same moving-target APIs and environments. Be it libc5/glibc, QT, Gnome, KDE, or any other substantial "farm", things are going to change beyond your control. Bugs are going to get fixed in newer versions, while your older library version is ignored by the developers.
I think you'd have a hard time claiming that you were seriously "locked in" to any Linux APIs. Glibc is based on the POSIX standards, with a bit of work it's possib
> I think you'd have a hard time claiming that you were seriously "locked in" to any Linux APIs.
If you've built code around some version of an API, you are effectively locked in. The open source issue is irrelevant, the things this guy argues against have been committed by all of the packages listed above (and that is just a small sample).
> Glibc is based on the POSIX standards, with a bit of work it's possible to use many other libcs (though as it's free software you can always change whatever it
The grass is always greener on the other side. If you were working with Linux, you'd be complaining about the boring things and obnoxious "features" there, too.
Really? I work with both Windows and Linux/Unix, and I don't have any complaints about boredom on the *nix development side, nor do I get headaches from some Make-a-completely-indecipherable-function-call-tha t-returns-god-know-what-and-will-be-broken-on-ever y-other-release API call.
The good reason? Your words should stand by themselves. Your name (not that "vsprintf" is your name anyway) can't make anything you say any more or less valid.
Unfortunately, boring stuff on Windows keeps the rest of us (and our numbers are dwindling) in jobs.
How about those of us that actually do 'interesting' stuff on Windows? In my case we have a great hardware product with a combination of open source and closed source libraries/applications. The closed source part of our libraries consist mostly of software models of our hardware (our product) and are thus pieces of intelectual property that we are not willing to freely distribute. Our librararies and appli
Like many high profile OSS ranters, he's ignoring the fact that if most workers try to challenge their company's existing model (the sharecropping model) they are likely to be firebranded in their jobs or worse. Fine if you work for yourself or whatever, not fine if you have bills to pay and a status quo to keep.
Shifts in the IT industry don't happen overnight. Even "the Internet" took years to become widely adopted. That is, years after it managed to hit the mainstream. And this is a sector of technology whose association with radical and fast adoption coined its own "Internet time" phrase. Open Source, and its poster child Linux, are very similar.
This sort of article isn't a call to arms and demand for radical change. It doesn't expect you to mass in to your work's datacenter and reformat everything to *BSD, Linux, or whatever is your favorite OS platform. It doesn't expect you to stomp in to your boss' office and demand "give me OS projects, or give me a pink slip."
But it is a call for change.
If you code on your own, look at OS alternatives. If you have any chance to comment on choices of technology or new trends, mention OS alternatives. If a new project comes up and you have a chance to work with OS technology, jump at the chance.
The environment I'm working now used to be a very conservative Windows shop. Sure there was Unix and Open Source architecture hiding out in the wings. But whenever management's gaze hit on some aspect of the IT infrastructure, it was inevitable that a Windows solution was to follow. Not anymore.
We are currently replacing key pieces of architecture with a mix of OS infrastructure and proprietary applications that run on that infrastructure. We are critical of solutions that are based on Windows. And even in situations where Windows is the safer bet, we are also deploying Linux systems to compare and provide perspective.
Our infrastructure is still involves a lot of Windows. It probably will for years. And there are still a good number of Windows bigots and zealots around pushing for that status quo. But over the years, our environment has changed. Management's outlook has changed. And the scope of available projects have changed.
The problem is that almost all work on OSS is free labour. No payment is done for software, no payment is done for service, no payment is done for ANYTHING.
There are a handfull of exceptions, likely less than a percent of all OSS:
The problem is that almost all work on OSS is free labour. No payment is done for software, no payment is done for service, no payment is done for ANYTHING.
True enough. Much of the work done in OS projects is without payment. Some people enjoy working their favorite projects and will do it for free.
But then, some people are also working OS projects while picking up a paycheck from their respective employers. RedHat fosters this. IBM fosters this. Sure. But then, there's also the US Government.
Unix is the worst operating system; except for all others.
-- Berry Kercheval
It's a selfish rant ... (Score:5, Insightful)
We'd all love to get paid to do interesting stuff on exciting platforms (I'm an RHCE, but in my current job we don't even have a Linux box in the building). Unfortunately, boring stuff on Windows keeps the rest of us (and our numbers are dwindling) in jobs.
I might be modded a troll, but then some mods have more time and more idealism, others are pragmatic.
Similar frustrations, overengineered web apps (Score:4, Insightful)
I do a lot of computer-technician stuff on the side, like fixing servers, installing software, repairing computers.
What I really like to do is work on server programming and linux system configuration, but I generally do not get too much call for that. Most of the money I make on the side is usually gained from fixing whatever crappy software incompatiblity problem introduced in the latest version of Internet Explorer or windows.
In specialized industries (read Apartment Management as one) companies tend to have VERY expensive software that only runs well on one version of windows or on one version of Internet Explorer. When the companies who wrote this software went web based they tried to use ActiveX controls to give them the exact same power over user interfaces that they had when they were developing their stuff in Visual Basic or C.
99% of the support calls I get is to go out and return IE to version 5.5 after it breaks compatibility with some overengineered web based application (that depends heavily on ActiveX for cute menus and the like).
To add insult to injury, software companies in these specialized markets tend to like to keep their customer's data close so they cant switch providers. Usually this means that the web based software is hosted on some machine far far away, that no one but them will ever have a chance at debugging.
People try to use their existing models far after they are outdated, and it only hurts the customer. Just ask anyone in the Appartment Management industry how many times they have been burned by vendors.
-Jonathan
Re:Similar frustrations, overengineered web apps (Score:2)
You could point out to the people that they're sharecropping bigtime, and that they should seriously consider getting together with other companies and funding an Open Source effort to replace their software. It's really a huge risk for them to be dependent on a particular vendor. If talk about risks and costs, I bet they'd get it.
Re:Similar frustrations, overengineered web apps (Score:1)
Get together with their competitors ?? That isn't how the business world works.
Re:Similar frustrations, overengineered web apps (Score:2)
Why doesn't it? It seems like an excellent idea to band together for things you all need, but aren't central to your business. After all, it already happens if several of them use the same software vendor.
Re:Similar frustrations, overengineered web apps (Score:1)
This can be the only way to take back power from the vendors.
I would imagine that convincing the Apartment Managers association would be the way to go to accomplish this, but I would have to have some demo's ready. I have had good luck with setting up linux public access labs at a few appartment complexes, however I want to enhance t
Re:Similar frustrations, overengineered web apps (Score:1)
Yes, this is exactly the sort of thing I'm talking about. I'm more of a researcher than a business person, though I make it a point to have some understanding of business concerns. This might be kind of a fun thing to do.
Re:It's a selfish rant ... (Score:0)
I too have bills to pay, I too have a newborn kid to feed. That doesn't stop me from trying to use what I think is the best technical/ideological platform when I work. Yeah, sure, sometimes I end up "having to" work with Windows. Most of the time though, I tell people that there's an alternative. As a professional, other people I do business with tend to listen to what I say.
Afraid
Re:It's a selfish rant ... (Score:2)
Its having more important things in life rather than an Operating System to think about. Otherwise known as "Having a life".
Re:It's a selfish rant ... (Score:0)
We'd all love to get paid to do interesting stuff on exciting platforms (I'm an RHCE, but in my current job we don't even have a Linux box in the building). Unfortunately, boring stuff on Windows keeps the rest of us (and our numbers are dwindling) in jobs.
Yep. That's a life. Doing stuff for a huge part of your life that you don't really want. Great. Where do I sign up?
Take c
Re:It's a selfish rant ... (Score:1)
Agreed.
I think he's ignoring something even more fundamental: OSS locks you into the same moving-target APIs and environments. Be it libc5/glibc, QT, Gnome, KDE, or any other substantial "farm", things are going to change beyond your control. Bugs are going to get fixed in newer versions, while your older library version is ignored by the developers.
> We'd all love to
Re:It's a selfish rant ... (Score:2)
I think you'd have a hard time claiming that you were seriously "locked in" to any Linux APIs. Glibc is based on the POSIX standards, with a bit of work it's possib
Re:It's a selfish rant ... (Score:1)
If you've built code around some version of an API, you are effectively locked in. The open source issue is irrelevant, the things this guy argues against have been committed by all of the packages listed above (and that is just a small sample).
> Glibc is based on the POSIX standards, with a bit of work it's possible to use many other libcs (though as it's free software you can always change whatever it
Re:It's a selfish rant ... (Score:2)
The grass is always greener on the other side. If you were working with Linux, you'd be complaining about the boring things and obnoxious "features" there, too.
Really? I work with both Windows and Linux/Unix, and I don't have any complaints about boredom on the *nix development side, nor do I get headaches from some Make-a-completely-indecipherable-function-call-tha t-returns-god-know-what-and-will-be-broken-on-ever y-other-release API call.
Re:It's a selfish rant ... (Score:0)
Re:It's a selfish rant ... (Score:2)
Re:It's a selfish rant ... (Score:0)
Re:It's a selfish rant ... (Score:2)
How about those of us that actually do 'interesting' stuff on Windows? In my case we have a great hardware product with a combination of open source and closed source libraries/applications. The closed source part of our libraries consist mostly of software models of our hardware (our product) and are thus pieces of intelectual property that we are not willing to freely distribute. Our librararies and appli
Re:It's a selfish rant ... (Score:5, Interesting)
Shifts in the IT industry don't happen overnight. Even "the Internet" took years to become widely adopted. That is, years after it managed to hit the mainstream. And this is a sector of technology whose association with radical and fast adoption coined its own "Internet time" phrase. Open Source, and its poster child Linux, are very similar.
This sort of article isn't a call to arms and demand for radical change. It doesn't expect you to mass in to your work's datacenter and reformat everything to *BSD, Linux, or whatever is your favorite OS platform. It doesn't expect you to stomp in to your boss' office and demand "give me OS projects, or give me a pink slip."
But it is a call for change.
If you code on your own, look at OS alternatives. If you have any chance to comment on choices of technology or new trends, mention OS alternatives. If a new project comes up and you have a chance to work with OS technology, jump at the chance.
The environment I'm working now used to be a very conservative Windows shop. Sure there was Unix and Open Source architecture hiding out in the wings. But whenever management's gaze hit on some aspect of the IT infrastructure, it was inevitable that a Windows solution was to follow. Not anymore.
We are currently replacing key pieces of architecture with a mix of OS infrastructure and proprietary applications that run on that infrastructure. We are critical of solutions that are based on Windows. And even in situations where Windows is the safer bet, we are also deploying Linux systems to compare and provide perspective.
Our infrastructure is still involves a lot of Windows. It probably will for years. And there are still a good number of Windows bigots and zealots around pushing for that status quo. But over the years, our environment has changed. Management's outlook has changed. And the scope of available projects have changed.
But it took years to happen.
Re:It's a selfish rant ... (Score:0)
There are a handfull of exceptions, likely less than a percent of all OSS:
Re:It's a selfish rant ... (Score:3, Informative)
True enough. Much of the work done in OS projects is without payment. Some people enjoy working their favorite projects and will do it for free.
But then, some people are also working OS projects while picking up a paycheck from their respective employers. RedHat fosters this. IBM fosters this. Sure. But then, there's also the US Government.