Open Source is Old School!

[galvez07]

I am about to put the latest version of ubuntu on my IBM Thinkpad r50e laptop, for GOOD this time. I wish to be free from Windows completely! Right now I am reading a book, 'rebel code' by Glyn Moody, and in the prologue you learn that the original computing community spirit was one of OPEN SOURCE. They shared the knowledge and freely worked together for the common benefit. Then comes along this Bill Gates guy and screws it up for everybody. Why? Greed. Plain and simple human greed. We all know the Microsoft story, Right? My point here, after thinking on this, is that Bill Gates seems to have revolutionized and propelled the computing world on it's way, but in reality has stalled us and put us back many years. I believe in what ubuntu represents. Power to the people, man!

:guitar:

[bread eyes]

Open Source is Old School

Word

[IYY]

Well, Bill Gates was certainly not the first guy to introduce proprietary, closed-source software. Didn't Richard Stallman start the GNU project after being frustrated with a proprietary printer driver that has replaced an open one? This was long before Gates.

Here's the full biography (http://www.oreilly.com/openbook/freedom/), if anyone is interested. The printer story is in the first chapter.

But yeah, there were days when everything was open and easy to tweak. Back then, the people who used computers usually knew how to code, so it was even more convenient. It seems that the popularization of the Internet really has given the open-source movement a boost. Back when computers and software were just products distributed on CDs in boxes, it was much more difficult to fight the system. And of course, the Internet also allows the developers to collaborate, and for anyone to submit bug reports and patches. In many ways, it's as though the old geek culture, based on small communities of academics, is coming back, except that now everyone is invited. :p

It's similar to what happened to the media. A long time ago, newspapers could publish pretty much whatever they wanted, and people also relied far more on word-of-mouth (sometimes even in the form of music and stories). Now we are seeing a return of that with the bloggers.

I hope that the music industry sees a similar revolution soon. Something like the folk movements of the early 20th century and the 60', but done through the Internet. It's time to ditch the big media companies.

[DeadSuperHero]

Word

I laughed so hard soda came out of my nose at that. Good answer.
Yeah, Open Source is OLD School. And old school is AWESOME.

[ThinkBuntu]

I am about to put the latest version of ubuntu on my IBM Thinkpad r50e laptop, for GOOD this time. I wish to be free from Windows completely! Right now I am reading a book, 'rebel code' by Glyn Moody, and in the prologue you learn that the original computing community spirit was one of OPEN SOURCE. They shared the knowledge and freely worked together for the common benefit. Then comes along this Bill Gates guy and screws it up for everybody. Why? Greed. Plain and simple human greed. We all know the Microsoft story, Right? My point here, after thinking on this, is that Bill Gates seems to have revolutionized and propelled the computing world on it's way, but in reality has stalled us and put us back many years. I believe in what ubuntu represents. Power to the people, man!

:guitar:
On the real. Check out dyne:bolic if you're interesed the the "Power to the People" message, youll love it. The distro manual does a better job of championing free software than RMS and the entire FSF over the years.

dyne:bolic: Linux for rastas (I'm rasta'd up, and using it. figures!)

[macogw]

Well, Bill Gates was certainly not the first guy to introduce proprietary, closed-source software. Didn't Richard Stallman start the GNU project after being frustrated with a proprietary printer driver that has replaced an open one? This was long before Gates.

Er....no it wasn't. GNU started in the 80s. Bill Gates sent his "Open Letter to Hobbyists" after people were sharing the BASIC he wrote for the Altair. The Altair was *the* computer of '75.

By the way, you should also read Stephen Levy's "Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution"