A career with Open Source?
I am trying to understand the lack of a serious business model in many of the Open Source Projects. The issues in question are the sustainance of the projects over a long period of time (not years, but decades), continuity and the chance to give the people who contribute their livelyhood.
One of my fellow Regional Director (Clemens F. Vasters) from Germany, Clemens has written a well crafted open letter to a student about his career with Open Source. The blog became such a hit that it was slash dotted immediately.
Read here about what I wrote about Open Source in Linux for You magazine last year.
EU Case Against Microsoft
I am puzzled by the recent ruling against Microsoft by European Union. As technology advances in every industry, consumers expects more & more features bundled (which was sold earlier seperately)into a product.
The classic example is the Cars we buy. I remember the situation till about a decade back (in late 80’s) in India. The classic Ambassadors were sold with what my dad says as “nothing more than a Box & Four Wheels” . After successfully buying it (you have to pay, book and wait at the mercy of the dealer), you have to go atleast half-a-dozen vendors to make the car into something that you can use. I remember for an Ambassador we bought, we had to add a AC, add a Sound-System, changed Seats and did Interiors (Amby had no interiors), did a complete chassis rust-proofing, changed the Petrol engine to Diesel (the company’s own Diesel engine at that time was not recommended, same story as AC), … the list goes on.
Today even the Indian Made (100% desi) Tata Indigo that my Dad bought recently came with AC, Power Steering, Sound System, Decent Interiors, Chassis Rust proofed – a ready to use car.
Going by the same logic that EU has applied against Microsoft for bundling Windows Media Player, we have to fine every automobile major – and stop them from giving anything other than a box and 4 wheels.
Taking this to new levels, a company called Nisbum has filled a case against Microsoft for shipping Calculator in Windows. Read the full story here.