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Freedom of choice
You're right. The free software community does need to 'start thinking more about lay and individual users.' The problem is that the incentives aren't there. Commercial software developers profit more by selling their wares to more people. Microsoft wouldn't be where it is today if people didn't choose to buy their products. With a resurgent Apple in the marketplace, it's difficult to argue Microsoft has a monopoly on the desktop. So many of the changes to Vista ridiculed as copying OS X are simply Microsoft doing what OSS developers don't do--try to meet the wants and needs of consumers. You'd know if we were in the grip of a true monopoly if we were all still using Windows 95. One might even argue that French tax dollars would serve the OSS movement better putting that 2.6 million euros toward bounties and open code markets for software that students will actually want to download themselves. But I'm not optimistic about government intervention in such matters--if Minitel was so great why is anyone in France running Windows PCs in the first place? Government intervention (and monopolization!) slowed the development of the internet in France, for years leaving millions paying heavy fees for slow text and rudimentary monochrome graphics while their European neighbors were accessing cheap, high-resolution color porn.
Posted by: Gkyluig   Posted on: 02/06/07 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use
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Encouraging expansion of knowledge good, very good  Boot_Agnostic | 02/05/07
What a GREAT idea....  shawkins | 02/05/07
Paris turns 175,000 kids on to open-source key plan  Loverock Davidson | 02/05/07
You know one you know them all  voska | 02/05/07
OMG! Ya mean everything I learned to do with Craftsman tools ...  OButterball | 02/05/07
Not true  Loverock Davidson | 02/05/07
I disagree  voska | 02/05/07
Once in a while, I agree with you LD  galileon | 02/06/07
That's what I see now too  voska | 02/06/07
You are correct again, LR  fuzzy2k | 02/06/07
What a dink...  jasonp@... | 02/06/07
Your usual load of garbage Lovey!!  shawkins | 02/05/07
Lovey Dovey... always in tune with the world  yyuko@... | 02/05/07
You know it!  Loverock Davidson | 02/05/07
I agree  mlindl | 02/05/07
Yes Times have changed  voska | 02/05/07
Yes your post is garbage  Loverock Davidson | 02/05/07
Which version?  zkiwi | 02/05/07
maybe it's time to change that, no?  benitodarder | 02/06/07
A USB Key and software license for $USD19 per child  Richard Flude | 02/05/07
Of course  Yagotta B. Kidding | 02/05/07
what? when they could have a OS to go with it.  Arm A. Geddon | 02/05/07
Try again  Yagotta B. Kidding | 02/05/07
re: gentoo  Arm A. Geddon | 02/05/07
It makes sense...  Tony Agudo | 02/05/07
Alternately  Yagotta B. Kidding | 02/05/07
Ah, I forgot about that the OpenCD...  Tony Agudo | 02/05/07
Freedom? Yeah right!  Gkyluig | 02/06/07
They don't really know they have an alternative  Olivier Pilot | 02/06/07
Err in the real world  mrjonno | 02/06/07
In the real world, people are pretty adaptable, and don't have a problem  DonnieBoy | 02/06/07
Why?  voska | 02/06/07
maybe your real world  shryko | 02/06/07
Which is exactly why  fuzzy2k | 02/06/07
Knowledge sure is expensive  Gkyluig | 02/06/07
Those GD tax and spend politicians!  fuzzy2k | 02/06/07
A better world?  Gkyluig | 02/06/07
Freedom is partial  atlury_murali@... | 02/06/07
Freedom of choice  Gkyluig | 02/06/07
Free software is a movement NOT a business  atlury_murali@... | 02/13/07

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