Re: This is a Troll!

[Knut Neumann <knut neumann uni-duesseldorf de>]

On Tue, 2002-09-10 at 23:43, Ali Akcaagac wrote:
> well, everyone has his own definition of the terminology 'opensource'.
> opensource is no excuse for bad software or create bad software. there

Correct. It is no excuse for bad software. I was referring to his
argument that you have to contact redhat/sun if you have wishes [feature
requests] regarding gnome and even worse have to pay for it. [1]
 
I have a full time job at a university and approximately 2 evenings a
week sparetime for hacking. I may decide solely on my own how I spend
that. If I do not want to fix bugs or add feature to my (imagenary)
software project you have __no__ right to blame me. This is open source.
If you do not like the software change it. In case you want _me_ to do
anything _you_ have to explain why I should do so. Not I should explain
why I do not want to. (Though I have to admit that explaining why one
thinks something should be this or that is _always_ a good thing!)

Still if you can not do it yourself, you may pay someone to do it for
you. In case he takes the job you may expect him to do what you want him
to do (Though explaining would be a better base here too!)

Redhat/Sun/Ximian etc. have a commercial interest in making open source
software better since they distribute in in exchange of money. You might
want to regard them as companies you can pay for making software better
for you.

Anyway: Open source gives you the freedom to (almost) do whatever you
want with the software - but it gives you by no means the right to
request something from the developer or blame him if he does not do it. 

Ok - hope that helps. Still I would rather like to discuss that off-list
if you have questions..

-Knut

[1] "Um heute noch ernstgemeinte Wünsche bezüglich Gnome äußern zu
können, müsste man sich als Kunde bzw. Benutzer eher an Sun oder Redhat
wenden.  Nein, ich gehe sogar einen Schritt weiter, um überhaupt mit
Wünschen ernstgenommen zu werden, müsste man ein gut zahlender Kunde von
denen sein."


-- 
Knut Neumann <knut neumann uni-duesseldorf de>
Physikalische Grundpraktika - Heinrich-Heine Universitaet Duesseldorf
Raum 25.33.01.63  -   Universitaetsstrasse 1   -  D-40225 Duesseldorf
fon: +49-211-81-11314                           fax: +49-211-81-13105