Two Views of Proprietary Software
I’d like to point you to a couple of URIs that form the background for the thoughts to follow:
Firstly, here’s a fun video from Novell, Inc. which is a bit of a departure from the image that most of may have of the Novell-types: stodgey.
Secondly, here’s a NewsForge piece on the dangers of proprietary software, by Robin Miller–of Point and Click Linux fame.
What Robin has to say is quite true, and he delivers the thought quite aptly; however, it was this reply that caught my attention. It is every bit as foaming at the mouth rabid as one can get, yet quite representative of the proprietary software/DRM contingent: They are scared (quite obviously) witless.
We don’t need to go through Rob’s words with a fine-tooth comb, as they are more than easy enough to understand. His poiints are more than well-made.
Let’s dissect the reply, though, since that needs a bit of moderating…
Somewhat prophetic, if not absolutely indicative of the responder’s actual mindset, I think you’ll agree.
Yes, such responders are normally too cowardly to post, using their usual Internet handle, much-less their legal name.
Everything in life–generally speaking–does cost money; however, that isn’t an excuse to gouge the customer–like the American Software Cartel has grown used to doing over the past 20-odd years. This wasn’t a matter of the company being unable to support the software–even under such emergency conditions, so trivially remediated–this was an instance of a company holding a customer hostage to their own emergency needs. This is, also, one of the chief reasons that F/L-OSS is flourishing globally–to the ever-shrinking profit margins of the American Software Cartel.
Sage. Eloquent. Predictable. Nobody has said that proprietary software vendors are not entitled to charge for their offerings; yet, the ultimate choice of whether or not to spend their money on proprietary software solutions does lie in the consumer’s mind, where it should remain. Proprietary software hawkers would prefer that you believe that you don’t have any other choice but to waste your money on their inferior products and services. Furthermore, it should be illegal for proprietary software vendors to so blatantly rape their potential and actual customers.
Ad Hominem. This sounds like the Redmond-bunch, if you really want to know my impressions about it. Having beta tested for microsoft, in years past, I recognize this as one of their first attacks; “Compared to certified me, you are not qualified to have an opinion.”
Not with the kind of exclusivity you would like the readers to believe. In fact, F/L-OSS has had far more of a supporting role in business and public data processing than even you realize. The majority-share of the Internet was not developed upon, nor is it driven by, proprietary anything.
It’s never been sudden at all; and if you were being honest about the situation, you would have to admit that proprietary software snake-oil-salesmen are losing customers to F/L-OSS solutions at an increasing rate. We will soon be able to speak of the hemorrhaging of customers from the proprietary software segment in terms of droves, or “hand over fist”. |
All-in-all, this is about as good as it gets from the increasingly-terrified proprietary software sector.
There was a time wherein an individual, employed by microsoft, was haunting the mailing lists, forums and message boards frequented by F/L-OSS community-types; and he spent all of his time spreading the proverbial Bandini®. His style of writing was distinctive, and this is no compliment. His logic was fallacious; his powers of reasoning feeble; and his facts weren’t. He was eventually traced-back to a microsoft corporate IP address. He was, and remains, to this day, a fool.
While I refuse to identify this individual by name (the duplicitous corporate culture of microsoft nearly screams of its being a hive of scientologists), I’m certain that you can discover his name on your own (google is your friend), and conclude that replies, like the above, are not a far-cry from this person’s abysmal, FUD-laced contribution to the F/L-OSS discussion.
Refuse to engage a fool on his own terms, but do take the time to point him out to others, lest they be deceived by him. That’s what this entry is all about.
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