Again, a developer hits it right on the money... (Score 1)

I realize that the majority of slashdot readers are the very linux zealots to which this article speaks. The interesting thing is that the author doesn't realize that said zealots are incapable of accepting criticism, positive or otherwise. I am a longtime software programmer who shares many of the author's beliefs. When I go searching for a tool I am looking to accomplish a task in minimal time. I don't want to have to "get under the hood" to fix it. I don't want to have to jump through hoops just to get it to build. I don't want to read the faq, rtfm, or check the groups for it. I just want the app to do what it says it does and right now! Nine times out of ten the OSS tool requires me to do one of those, and the windows alternative does not. Take notice that I am not opposed to OSS or modifications to programs. I have added modules to my kernel, etc. The difference is that one is pleasure and the other is work. When I am fiddling with OSS for pleasure I don't mind spending time to learn its nooks and crannies. When I am trying to get OSS to do something for work, I don't have time to play its games. Another problem with OSS is that it generally has no direction. As soon as someone doesn't like the way a project is going, they fork it. That is why for every "itch" there are at least five different ways to scratch it. This is not a good thing. No, diversity is not always a good thing. Generally four of those five "scratchers" are not feature complete and lack good documentation. If all five "scratch" developers were to work together, think of the ultra-claw they could develop.