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Some clarification
The idea that OSS reduces jobs or will kill an ecomony is malarky and is used primarily by people who are afraid of change.

I'm not saying that it would destroy the software economy. As noted, you still have services. But it IS valid to consider what we would lose through too much emphasis on open source.

We think of an MS model (among others) and assume that it is the only viable way for programmers to remain employed as programmers. This is not the case.

Nor do I say so in my article. However, there ARE good results from the revenue and incentives associated with proprietary software. Furthermore, as this installment explains, the "value" (as in, the amount people are willing to pay for it) of software DOES affect developer salaries. That's an important point to take into consideration.

As GNU/Linux/OSS gains market share more paid programmers will be needed not less.

That's what Raymond believes, and you do, too, but I spent an entire article explaining why I think that's false. Your explanation of where develoeprs would find work (repair, custom development, support) would exist in a proprietary software world as much as an open source world. You haven't adequately dealt with how to deal with reduced incentives to innovate or the loss of jobs related to sale value. You also haven't explained why my theory of programmer value is wrong.
Posted by: John Carroll   Posted on: 05/19/04 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use
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Economics of OSS shift costs to the integration side (increased investment)  oldskool | 05/19/04
repost (dang zd forum SW sux).  oldskool | 05/19/04
But can you eat your cake and have it too?  Patrick Jones | 05/19/04
Wasn't that the Unabomber construction?  John Carroll ZDNet Moderator | 05/19/04
Cake (way off topic)  Patrick Jones | 05/19/04
Flawed Analogies and assumptions  Tim Patterson | 05/19/04
Some clarification  John Carroll ZDNet Moderator | 05/19/04
Gatekeepers and admission costs  Robert Crocker | 05/19/04
Costs  John Carroll ZDNet Moderator | 05/19/04
Huh?  Robert Crocker | 05/20/04
OSS allows more innovation...here's how.  techboy_z | 05/19/04
Did you notice you called OpenOffice more innovative?  Anton Philidor | 05/19/04
You might look at OO's drawing capabilities  j.m.galvin | 05/19/04
When They Have A Package Like Office Pro  JimSatterfieldW | 05/21/04
Problems  John Carroll ZDNet Moderator | 05/19/04
Telling the true  theo_durcan | 05/19/04
Competition  John Carroll ZDNet Moderator | 05/19/04
You Are Mistaken  P. Douglas | 05/19/04
A matter of degree  Tim Patterson | 05/19/04
Re: A matter of degree  John Carroll ZDNet Moderator | 05/19/04
Need is the incentive  voska | 05/19/04
You agree, no price advantage for open source.  Anton Philidor | 05/19/04
Absolutely is a price advantage  Tim Patterson | 05/19/04
But there is a price advantage.  el1jones | 05/19/04
Costs add up.  Anton Philidor | 05/19/04
re: Costs add up  Iain_Peters | 05/19/04
Because you agree to help.  Anton Philidor | 05/19/04
Keeping programmers as pets  Anton Philidor | 05/19/04
why innovate?  ryusen | 05/19/04
Need, not money  Anton Philidor | 05/19/04
actually  ryusen | 05/19/04
Apples and Oranges  Chad_z | 05/19/04
Valuation  John Carroll ZDNet Moderator | 05/19/04
Why don't the usual rules for salaries apply?  Anton Philidor | 05/19/04
Regarding Salaries  John Carroll ZDNet Moderator | 05/19/04
What makes perception special here?  Anton Philidor | 05/19/04
Wrong quote; let's try the one about salaries.  Anton Philidor | 05/19/04
You can't compare physical objects to software...  Robert Crocker | 05/19/04
You have a flawed understanding of the software  StorageGuru | 05/19/04
That was amusing  Robert Crocker | 05/19/04
Are you nuts ?  JJ_z | 05/19/04
Not nuts, just looking elsewhere  Robert Crocker | 05/19/04
You have a gap in your education, Crocker!  Bill Weisgerber | 05/19/04
You are missing the point, Weisgerber!  Taz_z | 05/19/04
Another one who only reads the linus line!  Bill Weisgerber | 05/19/04
Thanks for your "learned" input  Robert Crocker | 05/19/04
You still have to download it  voska | 05/19/04
Do you really understands the different types of software products ?  JJ_z | 05/19/04
To a certain extent, you're right  John Carroll ZDNet Moderator | 05/19/04
But where is the incentive?  Robert Crocker | 05/19/04
I can ignore software lies, but not the cheese market, too!  techboy_z | 05/19/04
Demand for programming  Anton Philidor | 05/19/04
Exactly, almost  StorageGuru | 05/19/04
Agreed, but you're talking products OSS won't match  Anton Philidor | 05/19/04
Almost..  Patrick Jones | 05/19/04
Good point !  mbraincell@... | 05/19/04
Not exactly...  Patrick Jones | 05/19/04
This is funny.  mbraincell@... | 05/19/04
Partially..  Patrick Jones | 05/19/04
Maxed out market  John Carroll ZDNet Moderator | 05/19/04
Hey, ya wanna buy some software?  Anton Philidor | 05/19/04
And...  John Carroll ZDNet Moderator | 05/19/04
Let's turn that on it's head.  Robert Crocker | 05/20/04
I've said it before, John  bidemytime | 05/19/04
If Ifs and ands were pots and pans....  StorageGuru | 05/19/04
Indeed  bidemytime | 05/19/04
Patronage  techboy_z | 05/19/04
Working as a programmer  John Carroll ZDNet Moderator | 05/19/04
Re: Patronage  John L. Ries | 05/20/04
John, the slow-changing core is valuable.  Anton Philidor | 05/19/04
Core  Patrick Jones | 05/19/04
Models for software and selling  Anton Philidor | 05/19/04
Shoes, ships and sealing wax...  Patrick Jones | 05/19/04
MS "gives away" the Mac version of IE & Outlook Express  j.m.galvin | 05/19/04
Seems unlikely Microsoft is giving gifts...  Anton Philidor | 05/19/04
Nope  j.m.galvin | 05/19/04
You know there was a reason for that, right?  voska | 05/20/04
Regarding Apple and Linux  Robert Crocker | 05/20/04
Regarding open sourcing the core  John Carroll ZDNet Moderator | 05/19/04
Looking at all those limits...  Anton Philidor | 05/19/04
Hmmm, what happens when computers are "self programming"?  No_Ax_to_Grind | 05/19/04
Systems Analysts will rule again. :-D  Robert Crocker | 05/19/04
Agreed  Patrick Jones | 05/19/04
They walk the halls.  Anton Philidor | 05/19/04
Funny.  Patrick Jones | 05/19/04
Life with Fodder  Anton Philidor | 05/19/04
never worked in power plant have you?  voska | 05/19/04
Depends on the color of their shirt.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 05/19/04
Quite some distance away  voska | 05/19/04
I think the real key is a BIO chip.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 05/19/04
Is this the same BIO chip  voska | 05/20/04
Good point  John Carroll ZDNet Moderator | 05/19/04
Big business in damaged hard drives actually  voska | 05/20/04
AI Programming is...  John Le'Brecage | 05/19/04
AI Programming is...  seosamh_z | 05/20/04
They tried that - it was the failure of shrinkwrap SW - led to outsourcing  oldskool | 05/19/04
They tried that - it was the failure of shrinkwrap SW - led to outsourcing  seosamh_z | 05/20/04
Socialized Software  P. Douglas | 05/19/04
I don't htink that's true  NemesisNL | 05/20/04
soem comments  ryusen | 05/19/04
How about the samples?  StorageGuru | 05/19/04
About the $2,000 coat...  Robert Crocker | 05/19/04
Re: About...  John Carroll ZDNet Moderator | 05/19/04
The coat is raw material to feed the tailor and shoemaker  oldskool | 05/19/04
A question of generation, perhaps?  John Le'Brecage | 05/19/04
Formatting for Talkback  Robert Crocker | 05/20/04
Thanks! Was stymied by that  maxo_z | 05/21/04
truth is MS can drop prices and still compete with OSS  oldskool | 05/19/04
truth is MS can drop prices and still compete with OSS  seosamh_z | 05/20/04
False assumtion I: "FREE" software  theo_durcan | 05/19/04
Free Software  azurensis | 05/20/04
The cost of DB sure does matter  voska | 05/20/04
MS access?  NemesisNL | 05/24/04
ehm  NemesisNL | 05/20/04
Not much to argue about  John L. Ries | 05/20/04
I've long advocated a hybrid model for open source software companies  scroisier | 05/21/04
Pricing pressure due to free software  mr.pragmatic | 05/21/04

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