resisting open source

Slash-Dot, the tech web site ran a story about Stanford Univ. teaching MBA's to fight against open source software. I guess if every business and home user pays license fees for every computer's software, ones like Microsoft can declare themseves a nation and legally ban free software from existance. Well, I am guessing it is all about patents and control of intellectual property and making us all play by the same rules. It comes down to this, if company A invents and patents a technology, then company B will have to pay homage to be able to use it. The problem is that they are trying to make it retro active and also cover things that are in common use in the public domain.

So, while you folks are pondering this here are some liberating links.

http://www.linuxalt.com/    [1]

http://wiki.linuxquestions.org/wiki/Linux_software_equivalent_to_Windows_software [2]

http://www.schoolforge.net/ [3]

Why open source software? Because it's free and once you get it you own it. You don't need permission to use it. You can change it, if you have the skills, to meet your needs. You can install it on as many computers as you want, no seat licenses. If you want to learn how the code works or how to code, you can do it, you have access to the source. This alone is worth the price of admission. Open source software is a boon to teachers and to students. Not only can practical work get done but you can take it apart, learn how it works, built it better.

Then open source as a business model is based on grassroots collaboration and businesses sharing knowledge. I think we should push this model to see what more comes out. I know some realize we have become slaves and sharecroppers in an economic model that pits the haves against the have nots. The management of scarce resources, planned obsolence and the speculative value of money, all play a part in creating a kind of tension that makes it work. Greed, power and corruption gets it all out of wack. Open source is kind of a correction. It's a different currency. Oh, I am being silly! OK, Photoshop is what? $400.00 to $600. Try telling a kid they can't have it. GIMP is free. I rest my case.