[Linux-aus] [link] Open source helps education effort in Third World

[Arjen Lentz]

Hi Leon,

On Mon, 2003-09-15 at 12:05, Leon Brooks wrote:
>     http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/business/6769286.htm
> 
> Quite a long and comprehensive warm fuzzy overview, punchline says:
> 
>     Barring a dramatic change in attitude, product and price from
>     the world's largest software company, open source is plainly
>     the way developing nations should move.
> 
>     They literally can't afford to do otherwise.

It will be very interesting to see how this develops over the next
decade or so. As I see it, the "third world" may well end up being the
leader in that new marketplace (and good for them, then!)
And Microsoft may try the "wait for us, we're the leader" thing.

Actions speak louder than words. I found it interesting that for
instance at the recent AUUG conference in Sydney, most major software
(and hardware) companies were represented. Microsoft is very absent.
I don't see how this is good for them. Ohwell. I'm not their keeper ;-)

>From my angle -working for a commercial Open Source vendor- we make
money and we grow well, like a healthy company. It does not hurt to sell
software products (much) cheaper in appropriate situations, it's only
virtual bits, not steel nuts & bolts. Actually, I did the same with my
own shareware over 10 years ago.... so nothing new, really ;-)


Regards,
Arjen.
-- 
Arjen Lentz, Technical Writer, Trainer
Brisbane, QLD Australia
MySQL AB, www.mysql.com

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