"ray" <ray@zianet.com> wrote in message
news:6bcgs3F3b5i0gU1@mid.individual.net...
> On Wed, 11 Jun 2008 20:34:23 -0400, jim wrote:
>
>> I have been chatting with people about my frustration with getting
>> simple stuff to work "out-of-the-box" with Linux.
>>
>> Things like simply plugging into a network and being able to browse XP
>> folders on a peer to peer XP network (that means no server and no
>> authentication needed) that are not password protected. Still don't
>> have an answer to that one....
>>
>> But, yesterday, I ran into a shining example of one reason that FOSS
>> will never work for small business (which is MUST to be able to
>> legitimately challenge Microsoft's monopoly).
>>
>> While I was testing some software in a Linux environment, I came across
>> an area in which it would not work as advertised by the authors. I
>> raised some polite concern (really...I was polite) about the problem in
>> a user forum specific to this software, only to be told politely to
>> rtfm.
>>
>> I re-rtfm. The problem persisted, so I raised my concerns again. Again
>> I was told to rtfm. Again I re-rtfm and returned with the same
>> questions that were unanswered by the manual.
>>
>> This time I was politely informed where I could reach the authors of the
>> software. I went there and we went through the whole rtfm, re-rtfm loop
>> another 2 or three times until they finally asked to see my data. I
>> sent them my data files.
>>
>> In about an hour, they confirmed that there was a problem. Great! Now
>> they'll jump right on it - because everyone wants their code to work
>> like they say it will, right?
>>
>> Well, not really. I offered to help where I could (sacrificing a goat,
>> providing beer or money) but was told that the only help needed was to
>> fix the code. Unfortunately for me, I don't know C coding - so I am SOL.
>>
>> Small businesses (which are 90+% of all businesses) are called "small
>> businesses" because they are small. This generally means no in-house
>> programmers. So, small businesses are at the mercy of the coders that
>> provide the software that they run on.
>>
>> In this instance, I am at the mercy of these coders.
>>
>> As nice as they are, this "I'll get to it when I can" attitude is just
>> not acceptable to small businesses. They lose market share. They lose
>> customers and they lose money when software doesn't work as advertised
>> in tfm.
>>
>> This is why FOSS just doesn't work for the majority of businesses (which
>> are small businesses).
>>
>> While I move on to look for proprietary sources to replace the broken
>> open sourced software, I am again reminded that the FOSS movement still
>> "just doesn't get it" where small business is concerned.
>>
>> If it doesn't affect your earning a living or some other important
>> aspect of your life, FOSS may be just fine. But, if its important, its
>> important enough to pay to have it done right and supported.
>>
>> jim
>
> 1) don't tell me MS is perfect.

I didn't. I won't.

> 2) MS would have already solved the problem - right?

It's not their problem. They aren't the ones playing catch-up.

When you control the monopoly, helping another system come in would only
weaken your grip. No self-respecting monopoly is going to do that.

jim