Posted by: Anonymous Coward
on July 23, 2004 09:46 PM
HE does not miss the boat. YOU (and RMS) miss the boat. Who would/should take economics lessons from somebody who lives/lived in their taxpayer-subsidized MIT office? This is just like believing the politics of either Barbra Streisand or Charlton Heston.
There is "creative destruction" (ala Schumpeter) and "destructive destruction" (dumping, cost-shifting, etc.). "Free" software is just like what MS did with IE (cost-shifting from Windows/Office to IE to suck all the money out of the browser market). The free software cure to the MS monopoly, which the government should've fixed, is worse than the disease.
If you think you're going to compete on support with a First World cost structure with others who have a Second or Third World cost structure, you are smoking crack.
In case you think I don't know anything about computers, I have an MIT CS degree (Course Six still sucks, btw). In case you think you know more about business, I founded a cash-positive, multi-million dollar software product company. If you haven't done these things, you are an armchair quarterback. If you haven't had to worry about people's jobs, health care, and payroll, you are deluding yourself into thinking you understand the micro and macro economic issues.
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Re:Article completely misses the point.
Posted by: Anonymous Coward on July 23, 2004 09:46 PMThere is "creative destruction" (ala Schumpeter) and "destructive destruction" (dumping, cost-shifting, etc.). "Free" software is just like what MS did with IE (cost-shifting from Windows/Office to IE to suck all the money out of the browser market). The free software cure to the MS monopoly, which the government should've fixed, is worse than the disease.
If you think you're going to compete on support with a First World cost structure with others who have a Second or Third World cost structure, you are smoking crack.
In case you think I don't know anything about computers, I have an MIT CS degree (Course Six still sucks, btw). In case you think you know more about business, I founded a cash-positive, multi-million dollar software product company. If you haven't done these things, you are an armchair quarterback. If you haven't had to worry about people's jobs, health care, and payroll, you are deluding yourself into thinking you understand the micro and macro economic issues.
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