Comments on: Three Reasons Open Source Will Save The Economy http://whurley.com/open-source/2008/12/03/three-reasons-open-source-will-save-the-economy/ evil genius (tm) Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:05:54 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: zwi! http://whurley.com/open-source/2008/12/03/three-reasons-open-source-will-save-the-economy/comment-page-1/#comment-263 zwi! Thu, 08 Jan 2009 04:17:38 +0000 http://whurley.com/2009/?p=57#comment-263 Downsides to your "theory": Open source downloads require an active download/upload host, this costs money (i.e. server), the host requires electricity, bandwidth and data management, all costing more money. The download you just did requires someone with the common knowledge needed to do the job that the software you just downloaded requires, thus you need to have trained professional to run the program, this training costs money, albeit not the companies own, but rather the financial burden is on the trained individual. Not only does this individual require a higher wage than others but he must be a trusted member of staff, not just some new hire, thus he must have been working at the place of business for years, this in turn cost the company money in the long haul (i.e. health benefits, 401k, etc). The person who had been working so long needs a partner, there's no way he/she could handle everything alone, this brings in another similar person to train, training paid by the company. Once this person is trained to do the job, usually the original worker is let go and retires, carrying a pension, paid for by the company. I could keep going. Downsides to your “theory”: Open source downloads require an active download/upload host, this costs money (i.e. server), the host requires electricity, bandwidth and data management, all costing more money. The download you just did requires someone with the common knowledge needed to do the job that the software you just downloaded requires, thus you need to have trained professional to run the program, this training costs money, albeit not the companies own, but rather the financial burden is on the trained individual. Not only does this individual require a higher wage than others but he must be a trusted member of staff, not just some new hire, thus he must have been working at the place of business for years, this in turn cost the company money in the long haul (i.e. health benefits, 401k, etc). The person who had been working so long needs a partner, there’s no way he/she could handle everything alone, this brings in another similar person to train, training paid by the company. Once this person is trained to do the job, usually the original worker is let go and retires, carrying a pension, paid for by the company.

I could keep going.

]]> By: nommo http://whurley.com/open-source/2008/12/03/three-reasons-open-source-will-save-the-economy/comment-page-1/#comment-176 nommo Thu, 18 Dec 2008 12:43:24 +0000 http://whurley.com/2009/?p=57#comment-176 I think 'open source' will save the human race - not just the economy. (and actually - I think Open Source will finish off the 'economy' as we know know it and hopefully herald a new age of enlightenment - how about that for optimism? ;-)) Solving problems, together, because they need to be solved, and because we can't do it alone. How companies manage to make a 'profit' is another debate... I am not so sure that profit is the best motivation for anything. I wrote a blog post speculating about this some time ago: <a href="http://www.convergency.co.uk/blog/2008/05/why-i-think-open-source-software-is-key-to-human-evolution/" rel="nofollow">Why I think Open-Source Software is key to human evolution…</a> I think ‘open source’ will save the human race – not just the economy. (and actually – I think Open Source will finish off the ‘economy’ as we know know it and hopefully herald a new age of enlightenment – how about that for optimism? ;-) )

Solving problems, together, because they need to be solved, and because we can’t do it alone. How companies manage to make a ‘profit’ is another debate… I am not so sure that profit is the best motivation for anything.

I wrote a blog post speculating about this some time ago: Why I think Open-Source Software is key to human evolution…

]]> By: Can Open Source software save the economy | HALFWAY TO CONCORD http://whurley.com/open-source/2008/12/03/three-reasons-open-source-will-save-the-economy/comment-page-1/#comment-116 Can Open Source software save the economy | HALFWAY TO CONCORD Thu, 11 Dec 2008 20:24:31 +0000 http://whurley.com/2009/?p=57#comment-116 [...] Evil Genius, Will Hurley, thinks so. Here’s [...] [...] Evil Genius, Will Hurley, thinks so. Here’s [...]

]]> By: Johan Swarts http://whurley.com/open-source/2008/12/03/three-reasons-open-source-will-save-the-economy/comment-page-1/#comment-109 Johan Swarts Thu, 11 Dec 2008 16:46:27 +0000 http://whurley.com/2009/?p=57#comment-109 Interesting post, but I think you are way, way too optimistic. There's no such thing as open source truck drivers, open source accountants, open source CEO's and open source docter's. "Jobs" does not equal "software". There's also no such thing such as free hardware. It can definitely contribute to the process, but open source software isn't really going to save the American economy all by itself. Interesting post, but I think you are way, way too optimistic. There’s no such thing as open source truck drivers, open source accountants, open source CEO’s and open source docter’s. “Jobs” does not equal “software”. There’s also no such thing such as free hardware.

It can definitely contribute to the process, but open source software isn’t really going to save the American economy all by itself.

]]> By: Blinkit - הבלוג של בלינק » ארכיון הבלוג » וורדפרס 2.7, קוד פתוח והמיתון http://whurley.com/open-source/2008/12/03/three-reasons-open-source-will-save-the-economy/comment-page-1/#comment-106 Blinkit - הבלוג של בלינק » ארכיון הבלוג » וורדפרס 2.7, קוד פתוח והמיתון Thu, 11 Dec 2008 15:54:50 +0000 http://whurley.com/2009/?p=57#comment-106 [...] whurley.com - Three Reasons Open Source Will Save The Economy [...] [...] whurley.com – Three Reasons Open Source Will Save The Economy [...]

]]> By: whurley http://whurley.com/open-source/2008/12/03/three-reasons-open-source-will-save-the-economy/comment-page-1/#comment-32 whurley Tue, 09 Dec 2008 19:21:06 +0000 http://whurley.com/2009/?p=57#comment-32 Thanks to everyone who participated in this discussion. Especially those who translated this post into other languages. Thanks to everyone who participated in this discussion. Especially those who translated this post into other languages.

]]> By: DaytonCREATE » Three Reasons Opensource Will Save the Economy http://whurley.com/open-source/2008/12/03/three-reasons-open-source-will-save-the-economy/comment-page-1/#comment-31 DaytonCREATE » Three Reasons Opensource Will Save the Economy Mon, 08 Dec 2008 23:29:16 +0000 http://whurley.com/2009/?p=57#comment-31 [...] From Whurley, the Evil Genius… [...] [...] From Whurley, the Evil Genius… [...]

]]> By: Alex Mikhalev's blog http://whurley.com/open-source/2008/12/03/three-reasons-open-source-will-save-the-economy/comment-page-1/#comment-29 Alex Mikhalev's blog Sun, 07 Dec 2008 21:01:23 +0000 http://whurley.com/2009/?p=57#comment-29 <strong>Another interesting article about open source...</strong> Three Reasons Open Source Will Save The Economy...... Another interesting article about open source…

Three Reasons Open Source Will Save The Economy……

]]> By: velvetblues http://whurley.com/open-source/2008/12/03/three-reasons-open-source-will-save-the-economy/comment-page-1/#comment-28 velvetblues Sun, 07 Dec 2008 20:57:08 +0000 http://whurley.com/2009/?p=57#comment-28 Hmmm. I am a big fan of open source software packages, however I don't know if this argument is logically valid. Yes, individual businesses will save money by opting for open source software and might be able to keep their employees. But then what about the companies that provide non-open source software? They will have to downsize... You see, the fundamental problem still exists. People are going to lose jobs. It's just a question of where the job losses will come from. Sorry, no magic band-aid for the economy. Hmmm. I am a big fan of open source software packages, however I don’t know if this argument is logically valid. Yes, individual businesses will save money by opting for open source software and might be able to keep their employees. But then what about the companies that provide non-open source software? They will have to downsize…

You see, the fundamental problem still exists.

People are going to lose jobs. It’s just a question of where the job losses will come from.

Sorry, no magic band-aid for the economy.

]]> By: Why Open Source Will Save The Economy « The Bettizen http://whurley.com/open-source/2008/12/03/three-reasons-open-source-will-save-the-economy/comment-page-1/#comment-27 Why Open Source Will Save The Economy « The Bettizen Sun, 07 Dec 2008 13:44:41 +0000 http://whurley.com/2009/?p=57#comment-27 [...] - The Pampered Patient Why Open Source Will Save The Economy December 6, 2008 From whurley.com, the author proselytizes simple and succinctly the the great potential of Open Source during lean [...] [...] – The Pampered Patient Why Open Source Will Save The Economy December 6, 2008 From whurley.com, the author proselytizes simple and succinctly the the great potential of Open Source during lean [...]

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