Microsoft sees sales hurdles ahead

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Believe what they say... and do.

You wrote:
This is about choice. The point of open source is to allow developers better access to the code upon which the foundation of computer is built on.

No, as Mr. Stallman has written frequently and clearly, he believes it reprehensible that people should be paid to write software. Open source projects are intended to replace proprietary programs with free.
Every job lost, every salary reduced is another step toward utopia.
Even if someone disagreed with this rationale, the result is the same: free labor substituting for paid.

Remember that Linux and the products of other open source projects are replacements. They're doing what other programs already do well. The other programs were written by paid labor; the open source programs were written (largely or entirely) by free labor.
A company like RedHat's employees are simply replacing the employees of a company that made money from Unix, a breakeven at best. (Open source has been devastating Unix first, though Microsoft products may someday follow.)
Replacement products are not expected to produce gains in employment.

You're right that companies do 'contribute' to open source. A company like IBM has taken control of a lot of open source work in order to get software more cheaply than they could with paid staff. This allows them to lay off staff made unnecessary by open source.
Then IBM can go out and win contracts by leveraging the lower costs of open source software. Their bids are lower. When they've won the bids to replace employees at the contracting companies, they can happily lay off everyone possible.
This increases IBM's profits, and where does the money go? Why, into executive bonuses, of course. All that free work, all that idealism is being used to damage the lives of thousands of people and add another few million to the pay of executives who give their heartfelt thanks to open source volunteers.
They should all be proud of their work.

Posted by: Anton Philidor   Posted on: 01/29/04 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

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