On TV.com: Is DEXTER a Little Boring This Season?
BNET Business Network:
BNET
TechRepublic
ZDNet
TalkBack 1 of 277:
Next »
Show me the innovation Stallman
While Microsoft pushes forward software technology and produces modern software, open source continues to copy the trailing edge of the innovators. Want an Office97 copy? Want a media player that works on all platforms but just not as well as Windows Media Player, want a graphics program even harder to use than Photoshop? Want an OS that can just about keep up with the 1990s (as long as you don't want games and like to spend hours on fanboi forums)? It's all there for the taking.

Passionate programmers are not the same as professionals and I've lost count of the time I've wasted on OSS projects, where the documentation is written by (shudder) programmers and each new version breaks the last one.

Yes, there are a few useful bits out there and even Linux can be used for embedded applications and simple web servers, but do I really want to give up the benefits of modern proprietary software because of one man's delusions?

Perhaps someone could tell me of the killer apps that OSS or FOSS have delivered that weren't a lame copy of proprietary software. That doesn't make them useless and it provides a great safety net for those unable to pay for modern software, but let's not pretend that they are state of the art. Like it or not, technology and software research requires money and only the proprietary companies (even those "supporting" OSS) appear to have it.

Posted by: tonymcs@...   Posted on: 09/22/09 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use
Reply to Story Reply to Message

Alert moderator to an offensive message

Subscribe to this discussion via Email or RSS

Show me the innovation Stallman  tonymcs@... | 09/22/09
The killer app of FOSS, Richard M. Stalinman  honeymonster | 09/22/09
Amen to your comments!  mrproducer | 09/23/09
Codeplex.. another case of MS being late to the game  Jose_X | 09/23/09
Spread much FUD lately?  Wolfie2K3 | 09/23/09
Microsoft == lock-in - thats the largest reason for  deaf_e_kate | 09/24/09
Every provider has lock ins.  jdbukis@... | 09/24/09
The lock-in myth again?  ITLeader | 09/24/09
It's not a myth  UAC nanny screen | 09/24/09
@not_nice  keoz | 09/25/09
@keoz, they don't know  UAC nanny screen | 09/25/09
Right. Microsoft = Monopoly = No Choice = Familiarity = Love Windows!  Irritated_User | 10/06/09
@Irritated so start marketing Linux and stop complaining nt  keoz | 10/06/09
Apple anyone?  DanielB | 11/16/09
Outlook vs Thunderbird  BobDzd | 09/25/09
Marketing software  dtolj | 10/06/09
Or maybe it's the $0 price tag.  keoz | 09/24/09
I'll throw in  AndyCee | 09/23/09
Secure Shell was not originally Open source..  daftkey | 09/23/09
Stalin Didn't kill Communism  nucrash | 09/23/09
If you use Free software.. you shouldn't be calling names  rarsa | 09/23/09
Genius == Nutjob  nucrash | 09/23/09
I agree  rarsa | 09/23/09
Here is where Stallman and I disagree  nucrash | 09/23/09
If you think that could be done...  UAC nanny screen | 09/24/09
Agree  kordoniss@... | 09/23/09
Good point...nt  socialism=nowhere | 09/23/09
ludicrous article  homeblend | 09/23/09
Except he's right.  Sleeper Service | 09/23/09
not quite true.  magallanes | 09/23/09
Exactly and  keoz | 09/23/09
Yes, Miguell had a good past...  Jxn | 10/01/09
The Ideological perspective is a hinderance to the adoption of open source.  bmonsterman | 09/23/09
Interoparability is not Microsoft's goal  rolf.ernst@... | 09/23/09
MS  keoz | 09/23/09
That makes absolutely no sense  UAC nanny screen | 09/24/09
I mean  keoz | 09/25/09
You mean  UAC nanny screen | 09/25/09
So  keoz | 09/25/09
Ok, but  Jxn | 10/01/09
I will disagree in only one point  rarsa | 09/23/09
What a pile  A Gray | 09/23/09
WHAAATTT!!?!?!  OldTechie | 09/23/09
Hey chicken little - the sky's falling...oh and 2012 is real too - nt  socialism=nowhere | 09/23/09
And 1996 was real too (nt)  Lester Young | 09/23/09
Massive Cutting Edge Burn!  i2fun@... | 09/23/09
Dictators  keoz | 09/23/09
"Obsolete" me arse...  UAC nanny screen | 09/24/09
I see  keoz | 09/25/09
They don't?  UAC nanny screen | 09/25/09
Dictators is/was not only red, they are black/brown too  Jxn | 10/01/09
ludicrous yes - misses the point  BobDzd | 09/25/09
well  Vexorian | 09/26/09
forgot to say  Vexorian | 09/26/09
I agree  NStalnecker | 09/23/09
Media Player...  Tim Patterson | 09/23/09
VLC - superb  dgrainge | 09/23/09
It's good but.....  Lester Young | 09/23/09
It's a little rough around the edges...  UAC nanny screen | 09/24/09
VLC  argon0 | 09/25/09
Great point Tony...  DevStar | 09/23/09
Microsoft does MARKETING  dgrainge | 09/23/09
They also buy up the opposition  mikefarinha | 09/23/09
Counterexamples  Lester Young | 09/23/09
a lot of begats  dgrainge | 09/23/09
Great post!  mikefarinha | 09/23/09
"FOSS is leaderless"  dgrainge | 09/23/09
"if a number of people want an app developed."  mikefarinha | 09/23/09
partly fair  dgrainge | 09/23/09
Idealism only works when reality is taken into consideration.  mikefarinha | 09/23/09
Getting paid for the software is most direct business model  Patanjali | 09/23/09
Also, less "re-inventing the wheel" = lower cost to develop  bswiss | 09/23/09
Public Library aquisitioning and management software?  bswiss | 09/23/09
Nit Picking...  argon0 | 09/25/09
Lots  wentbackward | 09/23/09
Don't know all of them..  daftkey | 09/23/09
Careful with your statements...  cosuna | 09/23/09
Ignorama Personified! Laughable at Best! wink  i2fun@... | 09/23/09
proprietary sotware  dtolj | 10/06/09
Show me the innovation Gates  leiko84 | 10/27/09
RE: Watch Out for That Meteor, Stallman.  mrproducer | 09/23/09
Samba Team?  kmashraf | 10/01/09
There would be no GIMP?  tkmorris | 09/23/09
Ahh GImp  MC_z | 09/23/09
Gimp=Photoshop 2? Hardly.  Mitch 74 | 09/23/09
re: Ahh GImp  none none | 09/23/09
Ahh bulltwaddle  TtfnJohn | 09/24/09
Hang 'em high!  pjotr123 | 09/23/09
RE: Watch Out for That Meteor, Stallman.  The DataRat | 09/23/09
RE: Watch Out for That Meteor, Stallman.  rob_redmond | 09/23/09
Presumptions  khawaja.umar.farooq@... | 09/28/09
RE: Watch Out for That Meteor, Stallman.  rob_redmond | 09/23/09
RE: Watch Out for That Meteor, Stallman.  kakman1@... | 09/23/09
Does anyone actually listen to this guy?  NStalnecker | 09/23/09
he warns against the Benedict Arnold of FOSS  Linux Geek | 09/23/09
I hope you enjoy living in your conspiracy filled world.  mikefarinha | 09/23/09
No less disgusting than...  UAC nanny screen | 09/25/09
Missed the gist!  kmashraf | 10/01/09
No  keoz | 10/02/09
The guy is a nut  NStalnecker | 09/23/09
WTF is  keoz | 09/23/09
LOL!  John Zern | 09/23/09
Oh? Really?  TtfnJohn | 09/24/09
Well said!  UAC nanny screen | 09/25/09
Don't pollute the bath water.  jeremychappell | 09/24/09
Again no common sense for that  keoz | 09/24/09
stallman once again worng  Quebec-french | 09/23/09
Software is a tool, not a religion.  CobraA1 | 09/23/09
Idealism != religion  rarsa | 09/23/09
Idealism, whatever  CobraA1 | 09/23/09
Exactly!  keoz | 09/23/09
hmnn  Vexorian | 09/26/09
Self interest ... get use to it  Neil422 | 09/23/09
Why the hit on Christianity?  dominigan | 09/23/09
Actually he's right about Christianity  Joe_Raby | 09/23/09
Tommy Jefferson not Marx or Jesus  deanders | 09/23/09
Where do you think they got it from?  Joe_Raby | 09/24/09
he should have said "all religions"  deaf_e_kate | 09/24/09
You got point  keoz | 09/23/09
Stallman and his kind are extinct.  Solid Jedi Knight | 09/23/09
Beware Apple & Microsoft  wentbackward | 09/23/09
This is all so unfair ...  A.Sinic | 09/23/09
GTK  jgluck@... | 09/23/09
Appended in article  jperlow ZDNet Moderator | 09/23/09
Without GPL, there would be no free software  scott1329 | 09/23/09
Wrong there  MC_z | 09/23/09
Sure there would  jesup | 09/23/09
RE: Watch Out for That Meteor, Stallman.  Loverock Davidson | 09/23/09
RE: Watch Out for That Meteor, Stallman.  epobirs | 09/23/09
Maybe  Tim Patterson | 09/23/09
when did GNU become a open source monopoly?  magallanes | 09/23/09
Gee, I'll bite (tonymcs)  putt1ck | 09/23/09
Yes  Tim Patterson | 09/23/09
Sorry I wanted facts  tonymcs@... | 09/23/09
the "killer app" myth - give it a rest  deaf_e_kate | 09/24/09
There's no such thing as a "killer app"  UAC nanny screen | 09/25/09
RE: Watch Out for That Meteor, Stallman.  Matt.Fahrner@... | 09/23/09
Stallman's phraseology is not necessarily good...  putt1ck | 09/23/09
Obviously written by someone ignorant of .net and C# in particular  MeMyselfAndI_z | 09/23/09
Stallman's 'tremendous contributions'???  jreuter | 09/23/09
Stallman has always been arrogant.  MeMyselfAndI_z | 09/23/09
And stupid. (nt)  No_Ax_to_Grind | 09/23/09
Patent troll.  magallanes | 09/23/09
Hilarious...  UAC nanny screen | 09/25/09
When losing the battle, shoot your own Generals  No_Ax_to_Grind | 09/23/09
hmnn  Vexorian | 09/26/09
Stallman is right  ramon.sole@... | 09/23/09
Disagree  bmonsterman | 09/23/09
Technically correct, but besides the point  bswiss | 09/23/09
How? That doesn't make any sens and Mr. Perlow is dead on. nt  socialism=nowhere | 09/23/09
Well then  A.Sinic | 09/23/09
Haha  keoz | 09/23/09
Message has been deleted.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 09/23/09
RE: Watch Out for That Meteor, Stallman.  rws0205@... | 09/23/09
Mono discourages Open Source development  rolf.ernst@... | 09/23/09
Utter nonsense  balsover | 09/23/09
Sure ya do  UAC nanny screen | 09/25/09
So  keoz | 09/23/09
Message has been deleted.  Dave@... | 09/23/09
c# is NOT now Microsoft's to throw away  dgrainge | 09/23/09
RE: c# is NOT now Microsoft's to throw away  RedVeg | 09/23/09
I am now confused  dgrainge | 09/23/09
sort of promised, for some parts , for a while ,  bswiss | 09/24/09
@dgrainge, why do you say that can't happen?  UAC nanny screen | 09/25/09
Nicely said...nt  socialism=nowhere | 09/23/09
Maybe well said but still wrong. (nt)  No_Ax_to_Grind | 09/23/09
Care to say why?  dgrainge | 09/23/09
Not likely that Axey will  TtfnJohn | 09/24/09
He feels very threatened by Linux  UAC nanny screen | 09/25/09
RE: MS supporting open source not a ploy  RedVeg | 09/23/09
Drop the communist associations  wentbackward | 09/23/09
RE: Watch Out for That Meteor, Stallman.  DannyO_0x98 | 09/23/09
Don't fear the period  ricochet2200 | 09/23/09
RE: Watch Out for That Meteor, Stallman.  Ereth | 09/23/09
Why is Mono bad but Open Source Java is Good  sfeinst | 09/23/09
Traitor is a harsh word  rolf.ernst@... | 09/23/09
Haha  keoz | 09/23/09
Not Buying It  sfeinst | 09/23/09
Typical patetic argument  Ceridan | 09/23/09
Another fundamental... happy  Solid Water | 09/23/09
Java spec was open, .NET is not  grail@... | 09/23/09
Haha  keoz | 09/23/09
PS; (If I might add to that)  bswiss | 09/24/09
Get updated  keoz | 09/24/09
RE: Watch Out for That Meteor, Stallman.  jwhitmor@... | 09/23/09
I'll keep using BSD Unix, but thanks anyway, Dick.  Joe_Raby | 09/23/09
Just my 2c worth, but...  zkiwi | 09/23/09
Do let us know if Stallman ever responds to this article.  softwareFlunky | 09/23/09
RE: Watch Out for That Meteor, Stallman.  hparker13 | 09/23/09
Ah him, my early introduction to people to avoid  Boot_Agnostic | 09/23/09
"sun is out of Open Source"  farjad@... | 09/23/09
The Lion will Lie Down with the Lamb...  egads@... | 09/23/09
You know Samba & Mono are NOT the same thing yet you lie...  zeke123 | 09/23/09
RE: Watch Out for That Meteor, Stallman.  Fintan69 | 09/23/09
Suffice IT to say  jperlow ZDNet Moderator | 09/23/09
It seems to me that Stallman ...  mwagner@... | 09/23/09
Perlow's wrong-headed argument  wanderson | 09/23/09
Mister... ANDERSON!  jperlow ZDNet Moderator | 09/23/09
GNU's contributions  Filker0_z | 09/23/09
Correction: De Icaza had nothing to do with Gtk  Mitch 74 | 09/23/09
He was a significant contributor to the code  jperlow ZDNet Moderator | 09/23/09
Never mind...  dh1760 | 09/23/09
OMG WHAT AN IDIOT  keoz | 09/23/09
are looking into the mirror  Linux Geek | 09/23/09
Whoever  keoz | 09/23/09
RE: Watch Out for That Meteor, Stallman.  fglnx | 09/23/09
RE: Watch Out for That Meteor, Stallman.  eengnerd | 09/23/09
RE: Watch Out for That Meteor, Stallman.  khess | 09/23/09
RE: Watch Out for That Meteor, Stallman.  someitguy79 | 09/23/09
Stallman the lessor  kdjkdj@... | 09/23/09
What a load.  none none | 09/23/09
RE: Watch Out for That Meteor, Stallman.  chromeronin | 09/23/09
So let me get this straight...  dave@... | 09/23/09
re: So let me get this straight...  none none | 09/23/09
A nut by any other name still smells the same  Timpraetor | 09/23/09
RE: Watch Out for That Meteor, Stallman.  Sleveless | 09/23/09
Yes, but  jperlow ZDNet Moderator | 09/24/09
Stallman took a stand  cameigons | 09/23/09
Are you kidding , Mister Perlow ?  Joseph_Proudhon | 09/23/09
Oh yes, Apple, that acropolis of open-ness  jperlow ZDNet Moderator | 09/24/09
You don't understand the reasoning behind the Free Software Foundation  The Rationalist | 09/23/09
Ignoring some important points are we?  Jose_X | 09/23/09
Are you joking?  keoz | 09/23/09
I didn't find it funny  Jose_X | 09/23/09
Ok  keoz | 09/23/09
I found it pretty funny too  ITLeader | 09/24/09
Well well well..  zelrikriando | 09/23/09
Relaxing before the finish line is not smart  Jose_X | 09/23/09
Oh, they'll be just fine  ITLeader | 09/24/09
Stallman - communist loser  CypherOz | 09/23/09
RE: Watch Out for That Meteor, Stallman.  zelrikriando | 09/23/09
communism  cwhull | 09/23/09
What's in it for me?  yckhor@... | 09/23/09
I have always called Stallman a 'sofware Communist'  Patanjali | 09/23/09
I have a feeling you haven't tasted FOSS very well yet  Jose_X | 09/23/09
Not realy.  jdbukis@... | 09/24/09
RE: Watch Out for That Meteor, Stallman.  ITsupportGuy | 09/24/09
Beware Microsoft talking points  ITsupportGuy | 09/24/09
RE: Watch Out for That Meteor, Stallman.  Michael Kay | 09/24/09
Pot calling the kettle black  Vahokif | 09/24/09
hmnn  Vexorian | 09/26/09
RE: Watch Out for That Meteor, Stallman.  ITsupportGuy | 09/24/09
Mr. Varghese  jperlow ZDNet Moderator | 09/24/09
And you are...  ITsupportGuy | 09/28/09
I haven't agreed with you much...  wright_is | 09/25/09
re: I haven't agreed with you much...  none none | 09/25/09
Comparison to Samba is invalid.  JeremyAllison | 09/25/09
Jeremy  jperlow ZDNet Moderator | 09/25/09
They have the history now.  JeremyAllison | 09/25/09
If I patented something  keoz | 09/25/09
Sigh...  ITsupportGuy | 09/28/09
Wonderful Rant Jason  The Mad Hatter | 09/26/09
The FSF  jperlow ZDNet Moderator | 09/26/09
Um what benefits?  The Mad Hatter | 09/26/09
mmmmm  keoz | 09/27/09
RE: Watch Out for That Meteor, Stallman.  Vexorian | 09/26/09
RE: Watch Out for That Meteor, Stallman.  Vexorian | 09/26/09
Then Let Stallman  jperlow ZDNet Moderator | 09/26/09
Why should he?  Vexorian | 09/26/09
Free as an island  3dguru | 09/27/09
Hallelujah - a pragmatist  tony@... | 09/28/09
an interesting dissection of the article ..  emacsuser | 09/30/09
In fairness to Pam  jperlow ZDNet Moderator | 09/30/09
shock horror, Stallman is pro GNU/Open GNU/Source  emacsuser | 09/30/09
RE: Watch Out for That Meteor, Stallman.  kmashraf | 09/30/09
Right! Shoot the messenger quick!  auntiemikerowsoft | 09/30/09
RE: Watch Out for That Meteor, Stallman.  katsnelson@... | 09/30/09
You've been under the tech broiler too long...  veatnik | 09/30/09
Jason, you are wrong. Stallman is correct.  kzahorec@... | 09/30/09
Name Calling  jperlow ZDNet Moderator | 09/30/09
If he called him an "apologist" in print  jperlow ZDNet Moderator | 10/06/09
He is just  keoz | 09/30/09
GTK was developed for the GIMP in (1995/1996) not by GNOME  xconsole | 10/01/09
It's funny (Without Stallman, there wouldn't be GTK happy )  Vexorian | 10/01/09
RE: Watch Out for That Meteor, Stallman.  ITsupportGuy | 10/01/09
RE: Watch Out for That Meteor, Stallman.  ITsupportGuy | 10/01/09
It's all OK  rdupuy11 | 10/23/09

What do you think?

SponsoredWhite Papers, Webcasts, and Downloads

advertisement
advertisement

SmartPlanet

Click Here