[CS-FSLUG] NI: How Linux Could Overthrow Microsoft

[Don Parris]

On 8/30/05, "‡ø®a Wei-Yee Chan (Made in Chinar)" <survivor at brisnet.org> wrote:
>  For as long as most technologists can remember, there has been
> "Wintel," the $250 billion industry dominated by Microsoft's Windows
> operating systems and Intel's microprocessors. But "Lintel," or the
> Linux operating system and Intel, is now encroaching on this empire, and
> behind it is the entire open-source software movement, which threatens
> to overthrow the Windows industry. Faced with this challenge, Microsoft
> is showing classic symptoms of "incumbents' disease." Rather than
> remaking itself, Microsoft is using legal threats, short-term deals, and
> fear, uncertainty, and doubt to fortify its position. But this strategy
> probably won't work. The Linux operating system and the open-source
> model for software development are far from perfect, but they look
> increasingly likely to depose Microsoft.
> 
> http://cache.technologyreview.com/articles/05/06/issue/feature_linux.asp?p=1
> 
> _______________________________________________

I'd like to make one correction to the article.  The author states:
"Proprietary software is licensed, not sold, with severe accompanying
restrictions on copying or modification. This scheme was not devised
by fools. It reduces piracy, rewards risk, and allows vendors to
enforce compatibility. And when a proprietary vendor controls industry
standards, it generates fantastic amounts of money; Microsoft alone
has created about ten thousand millionaires through employee stock
options."

The fact is that proprietary software does not "reduce" "piracy" (that
should be copyright infringement) - it drives it.  I would say it
causes copyright infringement, but that is incorrect.  People cause
copyright infringement.  Even so, the very fact that it is proprietary
makes the infringement all the more likely.  It is difficult to
infringe upon rights someone else has already granted.  IMO, libre
licenses reduce the possibility - or better - the so-called
"necessity" of infringement.

Don
-- 
DC Parris GNU Evangelist
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gnumathetes at gmail.com
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