[AktiviX-discuss] Estimating the true value / cost of GNU/Linux

[Alan Dawson]

Sorry if its grandma and eggs but I just read .. and its quite interesting.

http://www.dwheeler.com/sloc/redhat71-v1/redhat71sloc.html


"Clearly, this demonstrates that it is possible to build large-scale systems
using open source approaches. Back in 1976, Bill Gates published his ``Open
Letter to Hobbyists'', claiming that if software was freely shared it would
prevent the writing of good software. He asked rhetorically, ``Who can afford
to do professional work for nothing? What hobbyist can put three man-years into
programming, finding all bugs, documenting his product, and distribute it for
free?'' He presumed these were unanswerable questions, and both he and others
based an industry on this assumption [Moody 2001]. Now, however, there are
thousands of developers who are writing their own excellent code, and then
giving it away. Gates was fundamentally wrong: sharing source code, and
allowing others to extend it, is indeed a practical approach to developing
large-scale systems - and its products can be more reliable."

AED
-- 
"If you make decisions about software -- or anything -- based solely on
short-term cost and benefit, someone with a longer view can easily
manoeuver you into a trap from which it is hard to escape."