Re: [OT] Re: Troll Tech [was Re: Sco vs. IBM]

[Larry McVoy <lm@bitmover.com>]

On Fri, Jun 20, 2003 at 10:59:00AM -0400, Michael Poole wrote:
> Larry McVoy <lm@bitmover.com> writes:
> 
> > I realized after I sent that that maybe the point was too subtle.
> > Open source is great, I use it, I love it, no problem there.  However,
> > *if* I'm correct that what is happening is basically a process of copying,
> > and *if* open source kills off the companies producing the products which
> > are being copied, then open source slowly grinds to a halt in terms of
> > creating anything new.
> 
> This is such an inane hypothesis I'm not sure why I bother responding.

Lots of people claimed the world was flat because they couldn't imagine
anything beyond the horizon.  

I don't think the point I'm making is that much of a stretch.  Look at 
Sun - it's been the source of many of the things in Linux.  There is no
question, in my mind at least, that Linux is putting Sun out of business.
Sun used to do 10% of their annual revenue on Wall Street.  Wall Street
businesses are moving to Linux in droves.  That's an example of what I
call killing off the host.

I'm sure you can muddy the waters by saying that Sun has other problems
and I won't go there.  I think enough people can see that Linux is hurting
Sun, that's all I wanted to get across.

Maybe there will always be another host to come along and so we have an
uneasy truce where each time a new cool thing comes along the community
copies it, if they do it fast and well enough, that host goes away.

It would be a zillion times better, in my mind, if there was significant
effort in creating business models which allow open source to be self
sustaining.  Rather than beating up on each and every company that
doesn't just GPL everything and hand it over, it would be nice if this
community was trying to find ways to be healthy without any dependency
on the companies which are creating the ideas which are being copied.
That way, if those companies go away, open source is self sustaining.

That would be nothing but a good thing.  If I'm right, it's a really 
important thing, if I'm wrong, it's still a fine thing to have open
source have more ways to support itself.
-- 
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Larry McVoy              lm at bitmover.com          http://www.bitmover.com/lm