Is all this Free code giving, ruining our Industry? 4

[MrGreed]

I find it helpful when I am helped by a fellow programmer with a coding question. I also find it helpful when I'm out searching for a way of coding something and find it.

But at the sametime I question whether all this "Free Code" out on the internet is a benefit or a ball an chain to the "IT" industry.

I know of and meet to many non "IT" individuals that think that they can program the "internet" because of all this free code and the same applies to buisness managers that consistantly hire the wrong people for the job.

What do you think? "did you just say Minkey?, yes that's what I said."

MrGreed

 

[strongm]

>The BSD code was always free because of the fact that the research money came from public funds.

No it wasn't. I've already detailed this in this thread. You can keep claiming this as many times as you like, but it is completely untrue. I'll repeat: the first free BSD release was Net1 in 1989 (and it was just the networking stuff). Sure, there were earlier BSD releases, but they cost money: a) tape cost, b) AT&T licence cost (oh, and early BSD releases were hardly Unix; the first BSD release was really just a version of Pascal)

>Also, one should not confuse the BSD code with the AT&T code

Who has confused this?

>Actually Unix was originally free

No, it wasn't (and for the first 6 years or so of its life it was only really available to groups within Bell). Again, you can keep claiming this until the cows come home. It won't make it true. The actual situation (and the reason some people seem to believe that Unix was originally free, and to which you allude) is that AT&T were not, as a result of some anti-trust issues from the 50s, allowed to sell Unix; they were, however, allowed to licence it (for somewhere around about $400 from vague recollection; of course this licence fee went up dramatically once the anti-trust stuff lapsed in 77/78). About the only 'free' licences made available were those to a number of universities (Berkeley being one of them), and that didn't really start until about 1975 or so.

 

[CCLINT]

A great thread with alot of good info.

I also do not agree with alot of MS's politics, but two questions:

1. Where would alot of software developers, (and this industry as a whole), be if there wasn't any free code?

2. And more so, where would alot of programers, (and the this industry as a whole), be if MS weren't the way they are (agressive), or didn't dominate the private/small business market to the extent that they do, or didn't even exist.

Would those same people even be programers or work in this branch at all? Would the industry be better off? Or worse?
[/b][/i][/u][sub]*******************************************************
General remarks:
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[jad]

i know that i would be where i am even if microsoft hadn't created anything ... i grew up with non MS boxes, moved into a university using VAX VMS systems, and went on to Unix boxes.

the world would be a significantly different place, and i would have to use Unix clients on our network, but i would probably still be here.

However, that said, i <shudder> would not like to see microsoft go away overnight ... their software may be sh*te, but it is a fairly good client, and they have (through fair means and fowl) put together packages of Office functionality

the shudder btw was because 4 years ago i probably would have wanted a world without MS ... and it's a shocking thought

 

[Tarwn]

packages of Office functionality
StarOffice and OpenOffice.org
That way I don't have to deal with these annoying licensed excel plugins that 3rd party companies make (read sell) to convince companies that excel is a database driven report generator...I'm not bitter --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

http://www.tuxedo.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

 

[strongm]

Good questions CCLINT. I suspect we'd be in a similar position to now, just with a different demon dominating the desktop market.

It's interesting how perspectives change. It wasn't all that long ago (15 years?) that people cheered valiant little Microsoft for taking on and beating the nasty IBM. Now, of course, everyone is looking for the new plucky little company (or movement) that will successfully take on the demon of Microsoft...

 

[CCLINT]

>It's interesting how perspectives change.

You've got that right! [/b][/i][/u][sub]*******************************************************
General remarks:
If this post contains any suggestions for the use or distribution of code, components or files of any sort, it is still your responsibility to assure that you have the proper license and distribution rights to do so!