Wow, you asked for a lot! I can't answer everything but here's some
stuff that may help to get started...
OK guys, you asked for this one! Don't blame me for another long
mail...
>>>>> "Tarun" == Tarun Dua <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes:
Tarun> [snip]
Tarun> Few Questions in this perspective 1. Development Models
Tarun> based on FLOSS/Linux compared to other development models
Tarun> for commercial softwares on Linux/Other OS' es 2. Business
Tarun> Models based on FLOSS/Linux compared to other Business
Tarun> Models for commercial softwares on Linux/Other OS' es
Tarun> 3. Cost of Software -- various components in the Total Cost
Tarun> of Ownership 4. Who and what pays the developers if
Tarun> Software is to be free. 5. What is the best way of
Tarun> promoting Linux. 6. Where does commercial software fit in.
Tarun> 7. How best can Linux-Tech be promoted. More questions to
Tarun> follow ?? Tarun Dua
1. Development models: No idea really. I guess _The Cathedral and the
Bazaar_ would be one answer, but it needs a sociologist to really
answer that question.
2. Business models: The most obvious is consultancy -- installation,
customisation, enhancement of Linux sites. Training also plays a big
part -- as far as I can see there's a pretty large market for Linux
training (personal experience -- no figures to back it up). Apart
from that I'd presume you've read _The Magic Cauldron_ by ESR, which
defines a number of models for making money from free software.
Do you know that saying, if you love someone, set them free? If they
love you they'll come back to you, if they don't come back then they
weren't yours in first place. I see the free software business model
as embodying that saying in business. As a proprietary software
vendor you must grapple your customer to your chest with chains of
steel so that he doesn't escape from you. Once you've got him you
can't let him go, because if he has a choice he may not make it in
your direction.
As a free software vendor, on the other hand, you're doing precisely
the reverse: freeing your customer. You give him what he wants and
enable him to make intelligent choices. From personal experience I
can state that having done free software projects for my clients I've
been in the position of getting repeat orders worth lakhs of rupees,
purely because I make sure that my customer is not dependent on me
once the project is over. Users are not fools, they can see what
independence and freedom are worth, and they are willing to pay you to
enable them to have freedom.
3. TCO of software: Here's one study by Robert Frances Group that
compares 3-year TCO of Windows, Solaris and Linux:
http://www-1.ibm.com/linux/RFG-LinuxTCO-vFINAL-Jul2002.pdf . The
parameters they used to determine the TCO are:
- Software purchase
- Hardware purchase and maintenance
- Software maintenance and upgrades
- Administration costs
At the end of three years, Linux clocked in at (approximately)
$75,000, Windows at $5,50,000 and Solaris at $1,90,000.
4. Paying the developers: Actually I don't think many developers get
paid for developing free software. I write free software because I'm
a coder -- I like writing software, I like it when people use my
software, I like interactions about software, I like to implement
interesting ideas so that they can run on a computer and I like to
share what I have with others. I suspect many free software
developers also code for the same reasons; if you apply the immortal
words of Edmund Hilary on why he climbed Everest to why people write
software, `Because it's there' :) Rishab's FLOSS survey (results at
http://www.infonomics.nl/FLOSS/report/) seems to indicate slightly
different trends. Specifically, look at part 4 of the section on
Developers: Motivations, Expectations and Orientation:
(http://www.infonomics.nl/FLOSS/report/Final4.htm#_Toc13908256)
Interestingly, among the most popular reasons for joining and staying
in the free software community is, `To share knowledge and skills'.
Another way free software gets paid for is when a corporation using
free software needs a feature for which they're willing to pay. For
instance, one project I did required hacking of spamass-milter (a
Sendmail plug-in for SpamAssassin) for a specific purpose. I did th
project, got paid and then released the patch back to the
spamass-milter development group: I was obliged both legally (by the
GPL) and morally to do so. So now spamass-milter has a `forward to
spammaster' feature which, effectively, my client paid for.
5. Promoting Linux: Let me ask another question in return: does Linux
need promoting? And why?
Heresy? Sure. However I've seen that trying to force Linux down the
throats of unwilling people is generally counter-productive: they barf
it out and then go back to a glutton-ish diet of MS-Chicken burgers.
So if advocacy is not the right answer, what is?
First, support free software and Linux through mailing lists, etc.
People will automatically switch to Linux when they get their
questions answered in a timely and relevant fashion.
Next, develop free software (if you're a developer) or encourage
others to develop it (if you're not). If you're a coder, scratch your
own itch, and put the ointment for the scratch on the 'net for anyone
to download. If you're working in a company, pay a coder to fix
problems for you and release his work under the GPL or a similar
license.
On the other hand, do take the opportunity whenever it presents itself
to talk about free software and Linux. Don't push it onto someone,
but don't be shy talking about it either when the opportunity presents
itself.
Of course, it all depends on your own motivations and skills. If
you're good at organising, organise a Linux festival or seminar. If
you're the shy type who prefers to remain anonymous, see if your
school can benefit from using free instead of proprietary software and
install it for them if they agree. Tons of ways.
Finally, remember that it's not Linux that needs the people, it's the
people who need Linux. I'm not worried about Linux' success, despite
the MS horror stories that one hears every day: don't worry about
losing a few battles, the war is already won.
6. Commercial software: I'd rather use the term `proprietary
software'. Free software can be commercial too.
IMO proprietary software will eventually find it's place in niche
areas. Most off-the-shelf packages already have equivalent or better
free replacements, and the trend keeps growing. Whether you talk
about office applications, databases, graphics software or server
software, you will find a better free software to do your work than
proprietary applications. There are still a few areas where decent
free equivalents for proprietary software are not available, but I
don't see the gaps lasting too long.
So after a few years you're likely to find proprietary software in
small areas where there isn't enough motivation to develop free
alternatives. Apart from that, proprietary software is likely to be
running IT systems for organisations, where the need to be portable
and replicable isn't too high.
Regards,
-- Raju
--
Raj Mathur [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://kandalaya.org/
It is the mind that moves
================================================
To unsubscribe, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with unsubscribe in subject header.
Check archives at http://www.mail-archive.com/ilugd%40wpaa.org
