Re: Should the Fed Gov break up Microsoft?

[Frank Carney <frankcTAKETHISOUT@ANDTHISALSOsrv.net>]

Phoenyx wrote:
> 
> Yeah, I know I left out the part about the pioneers of Open
> Source software. I was mostly speaking about the current
> status of the system.
> 
> Also, I'm not complaining about the corporations. I just think
> people should be cautious in how much authority is given to
> these corporations.
> 
> For the most part, the open source systems offer the best of
> all OS's. It is flexible, adaptable and runs on a large
> variety of platforms which is something no other OS can claim.
> 
> Phoenyx
I do not want to bash any previous statements I just want this newsgroup
to realize something:
	Traditional software development has been done by large companies that
can afford the latest tools and hardware.  Now that the hardware prices
have fallen and open source is beginning to take off the balance of
power is changing.  All users now have access to the same tools used to
write the OS itself (meaning Linux, Free BSD, etc...).  This means no
one corporation can control the development and no one user can control
it either.  For the record most of the development it NOT being done by
corporations.  The development is being done by the same dedicated
developers and newcomers all the time.  The information and the tools
are freely available on the net for anyone to learn how to program if
they are so inclined.

	This is making a certain large corporation very nervous (as it
should).  For the first time since it's rise to power true competition
has risen from the ashes.  The media would have you believe that this
rise is because many large corporations are jumping on the wagon.  This
is not true.  The corporations that are jumping on the wagon have seen
the writing on the wall and have decided to see where the ride takes
them.  Many of these corporations have been burned by a certain large
corporation and only joined the movement because of the DOJ case.  This
is a calculated risk, if the DOJ loses vengeance may be the battle cry
rather than "Where do you want to go today?".
	
	All software companies will be affected by this change.  Embedded
systems will soon have the ability to use a 60k Linux kernel.  This is
similar to the size of a QNX kernel!  If someone with some time and
craving for abuse it would be possible to port Linux to the Apple II. 
It might even be ROMable!  Linux has already proven itself in the server
and large scale multiprocessor systems.  The last major target for Linux
is the desktop and from there who knows.  A toaster that can send e-mail
to the cute coffee bean grinder?

	Anyway, if you like it or not open source is the future of software
period.  When a people is empowered to control their own destiny great
things will prevail.  Dare I say, this paradigm shift has and is
continuing to change the world.