Getting right by open source

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Would Ubuntu continue without Mr. Shuttleworth?

Yes, it would continue, but without the support that a hobbyist billionaire can provide.

He does have limits to his support. A recent article in the Times observed that Vista required the work of 10,000 people, many of whom raise families on the wages received. Ubuntu, by contrast, pays 20 people, though Mr. Shuttleworth did pay for 60 volunteers to attend a show.

The difference between 20 and 10,000 shows the a major reason for support of Ubuntu, of course.

At any rate, Mr. Shuttleworth now makes the strategic decisions. Who pays the money calls for the tune. In that sense, there is no difference between proprietary and open source.

So I disagree wuith this observation:

This is the key difference between open source and proprietary models many in the media still don?t get. How change happens can be as important as what change happens.

In a proprietary model change happens from the top down. It may be informed by data, it may be a response to market pressure, but if the entrepreneur fails the whole enterprise is threatened.

Leadership still plays a big role in open source, but it has to be consultative in order to work. Individuals are no longer data points. Leaders are looking to people to alert them, and the quality of their interaction can determine their success.

[End quote.]

Perhaps the biggest Ubuntu decision was not pushing Ubuntu for servers (and so for profit) as much as Mr. Shuttleworth once intended. He apparently found the desktop more interesting, so that remains Ubuntu's direction.

The dependence on Mr. Shuttleworth makes his whim law.


Link to the NY Times Comment:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/11/business/11ubuntu.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=ubuntu&st=cse

Posted by: Anton Philidor   Posted on: 01/14/09  (Edited: 01/14/2009 @ 09:06) You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

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