MESSAGE
| DATE | 2005-05-18 |
| FROM | Ruben Safir
|
| SUBJECT | Subject: [NYLXS - HANGOUT] Re: [nylug-talk] Dvorak's article on Linux Community
|
> You raise some excellent questions here and I'll answer them honestly. I
> agree with the implied notion in Dvorak's article that there is a
> stigma of extremism, zealotry, radicalism and non-conformity that is
> often attached to Linux which turns some people off, particularly at the
> enterprise level. Beyond that I disagree with much of the article and I
> also think that Dvorak is missing the point that Linux has greatly
> matured and that stigma is slowly dissolving. I base my agreement
> largely on experience. Things I have seen, places where I have worked,
> people I have spoken too, things I have read. What facts do I have on
> the "public image of free software ?". Well, one fact is that the public
> image of free software has changed a great deal. No I don't work for
> Linux International nor do I work with Linus. Am I sponsoring a
> nationwide survey ? No.
>
So then you are speculating based on your personal opinion. Is that
correctly observed? Or am I making an error and you have more concrete
evidence on the marketability and the image of Free Software in society
at large, and in multi-national corporations specifically.
Because I'm definitely a numbers kind of guy and I would like to see the
hard evidence that somehow, the affiliation of GNU/Linux with people not
stuffed into a corporate image has caused the failure of Free Software
desktops or servers from being adapted in business or the private home
space of users.
Because I have been under the distinct impression, based on data and
numbers I have seen, that the single biggest thing that has prevented
the adoption of Free Software rests squarely on the shoulders of illegal
and monopolistic activities by unscrupulous businesses. Added to that
has been the unjustified burden of DRM schemes and willy nilly patent
infringement law suits supplemented in no small way by the DMCA, which
together has prevented a true competitive market place for digital
information system.
Now for some people, I'm not even sure why they would get upset over the
image of Free Software to multi-national corporations, because, in their
own words, "Linux is just a tool". Under such circumstances, they'll
just use another tool, with whatever limitations that might present, and
continue on as they have.
But I have always felt that I have something personally at stake with
the freedom and adoption of GNU systems world-wide, because in my
limited and allegorical experience, not only are they better tools, but
even when they have draw backs, the freedom they give me in working with
these tools and to participate in the development of these tools, and to
freely distribute these tools far out weigh any disadvantages.
When Free Software is widely adopted in the corporate setting, I feel I
benefit by the addition of these enterprises to the GNU family. They
add their experience, expertise and funding to the community base. And
that is good for me, and in my opinion, the wider society. So for me it
is not just another tool, and if GNU systems fail to be widely dispersed
and used, I am not likely to just find another tool. I think clearly
those who would be prone to not accept GNU (or even BSD) systems based
on some notion that it is run by a bunch of radicals, not only make up
such a small segment of the overall population, that it is barely worth
the time we've already spent discussing it, but in addition, they're not
going to make very good community members anyway. Like Dvorak, they
would not only make for bad neighbors in the IT community, but there is
nothing that can be gained by trying to please them since they are, from
the overwhelming evidence available, monopolistic obstructionists in the
first place.
Ruben
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