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Linux and Seeds, Geeks and Farmers (a42.com)
17 points by iamwil on May 10, 2010 | hide | past | favorite | 6 comments


Community, sharing, and all of that? Blah, I write open source software because I found it in my interest to do so. I also happen to freelance open source games.

I also laugh manically because I know that I will win in the end.

Intellectual property is definitely not security when your true opponent don't even care about copying your "IP". In fact he love it when you sue your customers, chase down pirates, and other actions that alienate your market.

Your opponents will simply employ more attractive propositions and licensing agreement for his "IP", or better yet, set it public domain and poach your disgrunted customers.

Of course, his software will have to be equal or better than your. But all things being equal, most people will prefer software that they can copy without getting into a hailstorm of lawsuits.


> Community, sharing, and all of that? Blah […]

You're right. Open Source isn't really about that. Free Software is. He just mixed up the terms.


Although there is reason to be concerned about Microsoft abusing patents, Microsoft really isn't the Big Bad Evil Transnational Bully this article makes it out to be.


The article was written in 2003. You forget that was the widely-accepted perception back then.


Not any more? What has changed, then? Our perception, Microsoft, or did someone just out-eviled them?


They no longer have a stranglehold on the platform the majority of software is written on.

Apple is starting to out-evil them in terms of perception.




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