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#1 2006-08-08 22:52:05
- Ace of Dubs
- Member
- Registered: 2006-04-17
- Posts: 446
Why Open Source?
Interesting snippet of conversation I picked up on my surfing adventures. Steve Amerige gets asked why he is looking for open-source software and shoots back with the most enlightened response I’ve heard on the subject so far…
tranz asks:
bq..
Why FREE? Why not pay for an app that is reasonably proced for the work that the developers have done? I mean, you get it for free and then use it in your business to make a profit right?
“fatbear” answers:
bq..
It’s a reasonable question. Here’s my answer: it seems to me that small (and home-based) businesses are helped tremendously by open-source free software. Without a free Apache, Linux, PHP, MySQL, Java, and so on, I would not be able to be in business in the first place.
Hopefully, my business will grow. And, with that growth will come the need for more advanced solutions that can work within my business plan as paid-for software. Commercial software will become necessary because I’ll have more employees that need software that networks, etc. And it will be necessary because I’ll need software that helps me save time. Time for the starting/side/home business isn’t as critical as when you have people on the clock. The ideal producer of free open-source software is one that:
meets the needs of the small/startup/home business with full-featured, free, software
provides a “Professional” commercial version of their software that meets the needs of the next-size-up business or provides additional services that work with the above free, open-source software.
In recognition that I am using only free, open-source software, I charge my customers bare-bones prices. I do this for 2 reasons: (1) to compete with those that have more resources than I have; and, (2) as an acknowledgment that I’m using free, open-source software.
In my opinion, the free open-source “movement” is a great catalyst for bootstrapping the economy: mine and in the broader context. And if you asked the same question (“why free”?) to those that make the software I’ve mentioned above, I’m sure they can elaborate on why they do it for free. If big players like those see the reason for it being free, then I think there must be some very good reasons (including those I can’t think of) for it.
Enjoy,
Steve Amerige
fatbear
www.fatbear.com
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Re: Why Open Source?
I can relate to fatbear’s remarks, there is no way I could run a home based business were it not for Open Source software. Can you imagine the costs of Windows Servers, Exchange, Office, I could go on but you get the general idea.
Through Open Source software I can build and host sites at a very low cost. Where someone may charge 1,000’s for a site with a few pages and some flash animation, I can charge 100’s for a full blown dynamic presence.
We don’t cheapen ourselves by charging less, we help empower more people that otherwise couldn’t afford a website or a networked office.
We Love TXP . TXP Themes . TXP Tags . TXP Planet . TXP Make
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#3 2006-08-09 00:16:31
- Mary
- Sock Enthusiast
- Registered: 2004-06-27
- Posts: 6,236
Re: Why Open Source?
I wouldn’t have even gotten started at all, that’s for sure.
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