News Comment This is a comment on news story: Microsoft's Bill Hilf Reveals Its Open Source Strategy It's a reply to comment: 1st thing to become a good citizen of FOSS. by: bim_bim  Be factual and stop spreading FUD. "When people buy commercial software, really what they're buying is a guarantee. You're buying a guarantee that what you have will perform, and has been tested and there's someone you can call up, and if things go really bad someone's liable if something doesn't work. You're buying this ecosystem of accountability. One of the challenges of open source and really the challenge with the open source business model is: it's hard to replicate that ecosystem of accountability and that guarantee." The same guarantee is given by FOSS vendors to users that purchase technical support fees. The difference between Microsoft Guarantee vs. FOSS vendors guarantee are: 1) Microsoft's lock-in strategy. They make sure that when you use their product it won't work and a to a greater degree refuse to interoperate with FOSS. (Didn't microsoft forbid virtualization of Windows software under any operating system; or what of Visual Foxpro... the list goes on). 2) Microsoft don't give guarantee to non-paying customers or (obviously what they call pirates). In FOSS, the vendors and community are partners in giving guarantee to those that use the system (IRC, Forums, Documentation, LUGS, Code contribution without patent nuances, etc., etc.) Moreover, the vendors / software developers are transparent in their dealings and roadmaps and value users comments / suggestions. When one purchase a support to a vendor it means extra guarantee backed by community of users as well. There is more to the ecosystem of FOSS than meets the eye. :)
Comments: feedback (at) linux.org Advertising: banners (at) linux.org Copyright Linux Online Inc. Compilation ©1994-2008 Linux Online, Inc. All rights reserved.