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| DATE | 2015-02-02 |
| FROM | Ruben Safir
|
| SUBJECT | Re: [LIU Comp Sci] Operating System History
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From owner-learn-outgoing-at-mrbrklyn.com Mon Feb 2 01:55:32 2015
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Date: Mon, 02 Feb 2015 01:55:30 -0500
From: Ruben Safir
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To: learn-at-mrbrklyn.com, rms-at-gnu.org, learn-at-nylxs.com,
Samir Iabbassen ,
Mohammed Ghriga
Subject: Re: [LIU Comp Sci] Operating System History
References: <54CF1C26.5040900-at-my.liu.edu>
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The part that actually anoys me is this:
There are many benefits to open-source operating systems, including a
community of interested (and usually unpaid) programmers who contribute
to the code by helping to debug it, analyze it, provide support, and suggest
changes. Arguably, open-source code is more secure than closed-source code
because many more eyes are viewing the code. Certainly, open-source code has
bugs, but open-source advocates argue that bugs tend to be found and fixed
faster owing to the number of people using and viewing the code. Companies
that earn revenue from selling their programs often hesitate to open-source
their code, but Red Hat and a myriad of other companies are doing just that
and showing that commercial companies benefit, rather than suffer, when they
open-source their code. Revenue can be generated through support contracts
and the sale of hardware on which the software runs, for example.
1.12.1
History
In the early days of modern computing (that is, the 1950s), a great deal of
software was available in open-source format. The original hackers (computer
enthusiasts) at MIT’s Tech Model Railroad Club left their programs in
drawers
for others to work on. “Homebrew” user groups exchanged code during their
meetings. Later, company-specific user groups, such as Digital Equipment
Corporation’s DEC, accepted contributions of source-code programs, collected
them onto tapes, and distributed the tapes to interested members.
First s/Open.Source/Free Software/ig
That is for starters. The list of benefits completely blow past the
core point,
which is that free Software guarantees your freedom in the use of
digital systems,
buy guaranteeing individual ownership of digital systems. All the other
benefits
are a side affect of that. Without Free Systems, you kill private
ownership of
data, privacy, freedom of speech, security in your papers and home....
etc. It is a real problem that 18 year old comp sci majors get assigned
a text
like this and from on high are given with very incorrect impression as
to what
Free Software is, which is an intellectual "property" and copyright
issue and
a full blown battle over who is and is not going to own tomorrows
printing press,
and libraries.
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