Comments on: Uncle Harold and Open Source http://emergentchaos.com/archives/2008/05/uncle-harold-and-open-source.html The Emergent Chaos Jazz Combo Wed, 01 Feb 2012 19:20:40 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Anonymous http://emergentchaos.com/archives/2008/05/uncle-harold-and-open-source.html/comment-page-1#comment-4639 Anonymous Mon, 19 May 2008 09:11:17 +0000 http://emergentchaos.com/?p=2761#comment-4639 Actually, the point of open source is not only that joebob can change his kernel. It's that it frees us from being dependent on a software vendor for something that is important. If Microsoft or Apple go bankrupt or attach some license to their software that you can't accept, you're pretty much screwed. To use your broken analogy, it means that you can take your car to any shop for it to be fixed, instead of the Microsoft shop. It's also that digital artifacts, such as code, have a marginal cost of 0, so it seems stupid that once it's done we can not share software freely. Yes, there is a need for people to be compensated for their work, but that does not invalidate this point. The proof is in the pudding, as there is a lot of open source software for which people get paid to work on. RMS has done so much for the software world and lives according to his values. That is, he doesn't cash out on some paycheck and stands for what he believes in, which is admirable. You? Actually, the point of open source is not only that joebob can change his kernel. It’s that it frees us from being dependent on a software vendor for something that is important. If Microsoft or Apple go bankrupt or attach some license to their software that you can’t accept, you’re pretty much screwed. To use your broken analogy, it means that you can take your car to any shop for it to be fixed, instead of the Microsoft shop.
It’s also that digital artifacts, such as code, have a marginal cost of 0, so it seems stupid that once it’s done we can not share software freely. Yes, there is a need for people to be compensated for their work, but that does not invalidate this point. The proof is in the pudding, as there is a lot of open source software for which people get paid to work on.
RMS has done so much for the software world and lives according to his values. That is, he doesn’t cash out on some paycheck and stands for what he believes in, which is admirable. You?

]]> By: Mordaxus http://emergentchaos.com/archives/2008/05/uncle-harold-and-open-source.html/comment-page-1#comment-4638 Mordaxus Fri, 16 May 2008 14:06:59 +0000 http://emergentchaos.com/?p=2761#comment-4638 re Toby: That's my point. If Linux drives away people as non-technical as Ivan and me, people with valid kernel licenses but who don't want to <b>have</b> to write kernel code, it will always be niche. I'll try not to use withering sarcasm so much. re Toby:
That’s my point. If Linux drives away people as non-technical as Ivan and me, people with valid kernel licenses but who don’t want to have to write kernel code, it will always be niche.
I’ll try not to use withering sarcasm so much.

]]> By: Dan Weber http://emergentchaos.com/archives/2008/05/uncle-harold-and-open-source.html/comment-page-1#comment-4637 Dan Weber Fri, 16 May 2008 11:02:54 +0000 http://emergentchaos.com/?p=2761#comment-4637 I'm going to be upgrading Ubuntu desktops in a few days. Maybe I'll finally get a Unix desktop where I can have multiple applications playing sound at the same time without needing to recompile stuff. <i>And the older I get, the more I want things to work out of the box.</i> Hear hear! I’m going to be upgrading Ubuntu desktops in a few days. Maybe I’ll finally get a Unix desktop where I can have multiple applications playing sound at the same time without needing to recompile stuff.
And the older I get, the more I want things to work out of the box.
Hear hear!

]]> By: Toby http://emergentchaos.com/archives/2008/05/uncle-harold-and-open-source.html/comment-page-1#comment-4636 Toby Fri, 16 May 2008 09:48:03 +0000 http://emergentchaos.com/?p=2761#comment-4636 <blockquote> Nonetheless, the Uncle Harolds of the world have a point. It's nice to be able to change your kernel. It's nice to be able to recompile everything. It's just a drag to have to. When Open Source realizes that, it will make great strides to getting back people as non-technical as Ivan.</blockquote> Ivan is nothing if not technical.

Nonetheless, the Uncle Harolds of the world have a point. It’s nice to be able to change your kernel. It’s nice to be able to recompile everything. It’s just a drag to have to. When Open Source realizes that, it will make great strides to getting back people as non-technical as Ivan.

Ivan is nothing if not technical.

]]> By: David Brodbeck http://emergentchaos.com/archives/2008/05/uncle-harold-and-open-source.html/comment-page-1#comment-4635 David Brodbeck Fri, 16 May 2008 00:09:09 +0000 http://emergentchaos.com/?p=2761#comment-4635 Great article. I feel the same way about MacOS, which I use at work. To be honest the only reason my new personal laptop isn't a MacBook is that I wanted an inexpensive machine in a small form factor, like an Eee PC, and Apple doesn't make one. On a side note, I think there are two reasons car ECUs don't store their trim maps in flash. One is simply cost. It may sound silly, but shaving $3 off the price of a $20,000 car is a big deal for an automaker. If they build a million cars, they just increased their profit by $3,000,000. The other reason is it's not uncommon, on cars with high mileage, for the fuel trim maps to get into a pathological state where the car won't run right. I've had it happen on my Ford. When the idle starts surging I take off the battery cable to wipe the ECU's memory and the car runs better. My theory is things have gotten enough out of spec over the years that the ECU eventually adjusts itself into a state that's outside the feedback envelope it was designed to run in. If there were flash memory involved they'd have to provide a way to manually wipe it back to defaults, which would again add cost and complexity. Great article. I feel the same way about MacOS, which I use at work. To be honest the only reason my new personal laptop isn’t a MacBook is that I wanted an inexpensive machine in a small form factor, like an Eee PC, and Apple doesn’t make one.
On a side note, I think there are two reasons car ECUs don’t store their trim maps in flash. One is simply cost. It may sound silly, but shaving $3 off the price of a $20,000 car is a big deal for an automaker. If they build a million cars, they just increased their profit by $3,000,000. The other reason is it’s not uncommon, on cars with high mileage, for the fuel trim maps to get into a pathological state where the car won’t run right. I’ve had it happen on my Ford. When the idle starts surging I take off the battery cable to wipe the ECU’s memory and the car runs better. My theory is things have gotten enough out of spec over the years that the ECU eventually adjusts itself into a state that’s outside the feedback envelope it was designed to run in. If there were flash memory involved they’d have to provide a way to manually wipe it back to defaults, which would again add cost and complexity.

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