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Re: [OCLUG-Tech] Fwd: what are the "five myths about open source"?

  • Subject: Re: [OCLUG-Tech] Fwd: what are the "five myths about open source"?
  • From: Richard Guy Briggs <rgb [ at ] tricolour [ dot ] net>
  • Date: Sun, 3 Jul 2011 11:32:27 -0400
On Sun, Jul 03, 2011 at 11:14:19AM -0400,   wrote:
> On Tue, Jun 28, 2011 at 11:20:37AM -0400, Robert P. J. Day wrote:
> >
> >   i'm not sure firefox is the example i'd want to use right now to
> > demonstrate open source's spectacular glory:
> 
> I suggest that sqlite be used as an example instead of firefox.

I would have thought Apache would be an obvious example:
	http://news.netcraft.com/archives/2011/01/12/january-2011-web-server-survey-4.html

This is a situation where it is running on many Windows servers.

> It's install base easily outnumbers all applications that i can think
> of.  For example, firefox uses it to manage some of it's data storage.
>  So every firefox install is an installation of sqlite.  Many other
> applications use sqlite for some form of data storage.
> 
> It's also installed on almost every
> pda/cellphone/tablet/pvr/router/gadget/whizbang that has a list of
> data to track.  This even includes every iPhone and iPod.
> 
> see http://sqlite.org/famous.html for more examples
> 
> This is a clear demonstration that open source software _CAN and DOES...
>  1: work well
>  2: plays well with others
>  3: runs on many platforms
>  4: is hugely popular (by count of installations. even if the user is unaware)
> 
> I cannot think of any other project, open source, or closed, that
> comes even close to a tiny fraction of this level of achievement.  I
> also seriously doubt that this achievement is simply not possible as a
> closed source implementation.
> 
> Safe bet a significant majority of the folks who feel open source
> software is "crap" are unaware that they are most likely using many
> products of open source projects every day..
> 
> -phil

	slainte mhath, RGB

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