U.N. report says open source produces better software

opensector.org ^ | Friday January 30, 11:15AM | narnett@senti-metrics.com

[Golden Eagle]

U.N. report says open source produces better software

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development has made available an Internet edition of its E-Commerce and Development Report 2003, which features Free and open-source software: Implications for ICT policy and development as a chapter. The report, like many open source advocates, proposes that the open source process produces better software. It argues that open source development's division of labor is more efficient than that of proprietary coders.

The report says that OSS software is better for four primary reasons:

More people looking for defects means more defects are found and fixed. Free from marketing considerations, developers release more fixes and improvements, more often. Proprietary software does not guarantee quality, in order to avoid legal liability. Source code availability allows users to fix, customize or improve on their own. The report includes a summary of free and open source software policy development and activity in nations throughout the world.

[Golden Eagle]

More proof the United Nations pushes for "Open Source" software just like the Labor (Democratic) party of Austrailia and others seem to be doing. Wonder how long before the U.S. Democratic party makes it one of their issues as well?

[Golden Eagle]

This part didn't post~

The report says that OSS software is better for four primary reasons:

- More people looking for defects means more defects are found and fixed.

- Free from marketing considerations, developers release more fixes and improvements, more often.

- Proprietary software does not guarantee quality, in order to avoid legal liability.

- Source code availability allows users to fix, customize or improve on their own. The report includes a summary of free and open source software policy development and activity in nations throughout the world.

[CasearianDaoist]

This is only because they are suffering under the delusion that it is "free." that there is not profit making business model that can be applied to the Linux world. As soon as someone finds out how to make a real buck out of it then they will become disillusioned.

What is funny about this is that we have been here before. Younger people forget that UNIX source licenses were also "free" once upon a time, and had a similar - albeit smaller - international community of programmers. In the early 80s UNIX became a commerical force and the "open" market split into a "commercial" one. The same thing will happen to LINUX. There is no such thing as a free lunch.

Typical socialist ignorance of commerce.

[jjw]

Free software, now that sounds good. Perhaps someday we will have a 'right' to free software. I bet these guys would like us to have free healthcare too.

[sticker]

Uncle Koffi wants your computers, "Open Source" makes it easier for all the freedom loving memebers of the UN, i.e. China, Cuba, et al, to control their citizens access to information

[zeugma]

Ah yes, GE's shif has started again with yet another astroturfing session...

---

FreeRepublic is a conservative news and commentary forum that covers many topics every single hour of the day. If it's topical, and in the news, you'll find it here. One of the things I've noticed is, that if you look at the posting history of individual users, you'll notice that many tend to congregate around several different subjects. Sure there are always a few Johnny-one-notes, but even the ones who seem to post mostly about abortion because the subject is of intense importance to them, will occasionally find topics that diverge from this interest to comment upon. Some people are all over the place with their posts and don't seem to be intensely focused upon any given topic. Then again, there are folks with apparenly only one concern on the entire planet.

Below, you will find the posting history of one FreeRepublic user distilled into an easily readable bulleted list. It begins at 08/18/2003, and ends today (1/30/2004). If you look closely, you will see a common thread that suffuses every single post - the position of the professional microsoft astroturfer. An asteroid 100 miles across could be sighted in the night sky hurtling down to destroy us all, but to the professional astroturfer, only one thought will occur: how to blame it on Linux. Never deviating from this theme, I give you Golden Eagle, otherwise affectionately known as the Brass Buzzard.

1. Ditching windows and using Linux on personal computer for secure financial transactions - Comments: 5
2. Linux and the GPL, A Hard look at a Leftist Software Development model - Comments: 3
3. SCO Declares Total War on the GPL -- Says GPL Is Not Enforceable - Comments: 1
4. US Army 'going to Linux' - Comments: 1
5. Democrats ahead of Republicans on Open Source? - Comments:
6. Democrats ahead of Republicans on Open Source? - Comments: 17
7. SCO Will Give Customers a Discount To Drop Linux and Use Any Proprietary Software - Comments: 1
8. SCO, IBM battle heats up - Comments: 33
9. SCO Targets Torvalds, Stallman - Comments: 19
10. Deutsche Bank: SCO May Sue Corporate End Users Soon After All --Decatur Jones: So? - Comments: 6
11. Sun's McNealy announces Linux deal with Chinese government - Comments: 3
12. SCO To Expand Its Lawsuit Beyond Linux - Comments: 13
13. SCO hires bodyguards for execs - Comments: 9
14. SCO Seeks to Block Novell-SUSE Deal(Sco may go after Apple OS X) - Comments: 3
15. SCO: Winners and Losers - Comments: 1
16. SCO's Legal Fees Could Jeopardize Its Software Business - Comments: 1
17. BSD developers speak out on SCO campaign - Comments: 3
18. SCO: Without Fear and Without Research - Comments: 4
19. .name registry site hacked - Comments: 2
20. Debian Hack Update (yep, it's a root exploit/kernel issue - get yer patches now) - Comments: 2
21. Flaw in Linux kernel allows attack - Comments: 44
22. IBM Wins motions in SCO case - Comments: 3
23. Linus's Top Ten SCO Barbs - Comments: 3
24. Half of small firms want to ditch Windows for Linux - Comments: 2
25. GPL is no hippie dream - Comments: 56
26. SCO Hit By Another DDoS Attack - Comments: 20
27. IBM to Export Highly Paid Jobs to India, China - Comments: 1
28. Revenge of the Nerds - Comments: 13
29. NASA Web Sites Hacked (Iraqi Sympathizers) - Comments: 10
30. RealNetworks Sues Microsoft Over Antitrust - Comments: 8
31. NEW FLORIDA WOES FOR BOIES - Comments:
32. Linux sales soar in Japan, Windows sales slump - Comments: 4
33. SCO ready to hit Australian Linux users - Comments: 8
34. MS Would Like You to Consider an Alternative to Linux for Your Server Needs - Comments: 1
35. SCO asks for at least another three months to meet court order - Comments: 3
36. HP Sets Record With $2.5B in Linux-Based Revenue (and other BREAKING TECHNOLOGY NEWS) - Comments: 17
37. Munich Linux Setback - Comments: 7
38. SCO sues Novell - Comments: 1
39. SCO to Congress: Linux hurts the U.S. - Comments: 1
40. New virus infects PCs, whacks SCO - Comments: 105
41. Microsoft Product Information Center: Microsoft Windows Bad Key Referral [CHICOM SPOOF ALERT} - Comments: 3
42. SCO Offers Reward for Arrest and Conviction of Mydoom Virus Author - Comments:
43. Linus Torvalds: SCO Is "Just Too Wrong" - Comments: 2
44. New Explorer hole could be devastating - Comments: 42
45. Microsoft 'supports' Chinese internet crackdown - Comments: 21
46. Latest worm ( MyDoom ) has professional twist (Computer experts blame spammers) - Comments: 12
47. Linux delivers for the U.S. Postal Service - Comments: 2
48. SCO Financial Outlook (My Title) - Comments: 10
49. SCO users divided over GPL - Comments: 1
50. SCO Preparing Legal Action Against (AIX/Dynix/Linux) Customer - Comments: 1
51. UPDATE: Linus Torvalds claims SCO 'smoking gun' backfires - Comments: 13
52. Analysis of SCO's Las Vegas Slide Show (SCO Publicly shows "infringing" Linux code) - Comments: 2
53. Rockin' on without Microsoft - Comments: 30
54. SCO CEO says IBM behind open source attacks - Comments: 21
55. Let SCO Hang Itself - Comments: 1
56. SCO Defends Against Open Source Advocates - Comments: 26
57. Stupid Microsoft Tricks (Why the Richest Company on Earth Feels it Needs to Cheat) - Comments: 1
58. China's Red Flag Linux to step onto global stage - Comments: 47
59. Senators Threaten China With Tariffs - Comments: 1
60. SCO to Linux Users: Pay Up! - Comments: 42
61. Microsoft Admits Serious New Windows Vulnerability - Comments: 5
62. Response to SCO's Open Letter - Comments: 6
63. Sun may offer Java customers SCO relief - Comments: 1
64. IBM bundles up with Chinese Linux company (Chicom Government that is) - Comments: 25
65. Linux is favourite hacker target: Study - Comments: 25
66. Microsoft at the power point [why Linux is slandered at FR] - Comments: 3
67. Motor giant Ford to move to Linux - Comments: 1
68. SCO swings back at Red Hat - Comments: 17
69. Form 10-Q for SCO GROUP INC - Comments: 14
70. IBM posts fix for DB2 Linux security flaw - Comments: 6
71. Oi! *Nix admin, get patching - Comments: 1
72. Nasty Worm Poses as MS Security Update - Comments: 1
73. IBM to launch Linux technology center in south China - Comments: 34
74. IBM to launch Linux technology center in south China - Comments: 41
75. HP to indemnify customers from Linux legal claims - Comments: 3
76. Microsoft signs source code browsing agreement with China - Comments: 3
77. An open-source letter - Comments: 24
78. LIMBAUGH RESIGNS FROM ESPN SHOW - Comments: 2

There you have it, 78 threads, and about 927 separate posts, almost never deviating from the official microsoft propaganda sheets in even a single post for over 6 months. Astroturfing at it's finest. I have to say "almost" because, much to my suprise, I did actually find 2 posts that were not either an attack against open source software, or a defense of microsoft. Those two posts are the last link listed above.

[zeugma]

Penguin ping. I don't have time to unFUD this thread today

[GeronL]

Thats good reasons not to support open source =o)

[Wisconsin]

I can thin of few things as ignorant and counterproductive as deciding that open source software -- that software with the least government control and support---is "Democrat" software.

Aside from ideology, it is tactically stupid. Open source software is growing fast. Republicans are going to condemn it as a liberal instrument?

It isn't. If anything it might be regarded as libertarian software. The least attractive part of the republican party, to my mind, is its support of big business, government created and maintained monopolies, and its enmity to new businesses that might overthrow big business.

[Golden Eagle]

Thanks for finally linking those, so people can see why I am opposed to open source while you want to take the UN and communist China's side and ram it down our throats.

Here's some other links you seem to have forgotten:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/933245/posts

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/934971/posts

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1065831/posts