open source
Thursday, April 12, 2007
****** warning slightly too much detail about my life, if you want to miss this part, read again after the end of warning start part******
The radio in our bathroom is usually tuned to radio 4
I was in the toilet and turned on the radio.
******End of too much info stuff******
As I was listening casually, to radio 4, the words I heard started to work on me. The program, Open Source, was an investigation into the use, history and current position of open source software.
I joined the conversation as he was focusing in on the case of brazil where the gvernement has decided to embrace open source software for computers as a concious government policy.
The man from Brazil seemed very happy about this.
The man form Microsoft less so
The man from red Hat seemed okay about it.
On telling exchange came from a discussion about the open nature of the source code.
The man on the radio summing up something the man from red hat said.
"so your software is better becuase people find faults in it every day?"
I find this idea great. the weakness of being open is conversely it's strength.
openness demands that people find holes.
It requires demands change.
It encurages growth, and in a short time the change can be massive.
as a method of chnage it is pretty good.
the downside seems to be that we make money from our secrets. form our lack of openness.
our secrets.
the things we don't tell anyone else.
Microsoft don't share their code or latest developments. Industrial espionage is a major fear. (Only 4 people living in the world know the correct recipe for Barr's Irn Bru!)
we fear our secrets ebcoming known.
I fear the dark edges of my life so far. To be more accurate i fear the discovery of those dark edges by others. Others who use have got to know me through a carefully created kaleidoscope of myself.
Perhaps I should take a risk.
Perhaps I should fell safe.
Perhaps my comfort, or Bill Gates $50 Billion fortune comfort will prevent us from revealing our secrets.
open
I never live with balance, Although I like the notion.
