Archive of UserLand's first discussion group, started October 5, 1998.

Re: Open Source is a farse...

Author:Roger Espinosa
Posted:8/3/1999; 5:16:41 AM
Topic:Microsoft response to Instant Messaging
Msg #:9040 (In response to 9036)
Prev/Next:9039 / 9041

Tell me, Joel -- is there a day (especially in this industry) when you'll *stop* being a student?

This open-source-close-source business is just getting irritating. When the Open Source critics call it a farce, I look at our K-12 telecommunications project (running on Linux, Apache, Perl, Postgres...) and just shake my head. The history of this project would have been IMPOSSIBLE without Open Source. Before the web -- gopher, rn, nntp...and gosh, Joel, all specifying *protocols* about interoperability, not just how to draw pretty boxes on a VT100 screen.

Ah, but when the Closed Source critics speak, I can look at the same project and see how QuickTime, the MacOS, and HyperCard and what not have enabled the content folks, and shake my head some more. Being able to focus on their talents intead of having to remember how the plumbing's connected was tangible.

Technology should be about *enabling* us to do interesting and creative things. I know that's why I keep reading Scripting News, even if I don't see Frontier fitting into my toolset anytime soon. The conversation's still relevant, the message is still relevant.

People who say that MacOS and NT will go away just don't get it. People who say Linux is going to crash *really* don't get it.

Really -- what's the point of such predictions when we're on the verge of a new *Amiga*?

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