The Simple Economics of Open Source

[Terry Reedy]

"Gordon McMillan" <gmcm at hypernet.com> wrote in message
news:1255227918-2015166 at hypernet.com...
> Terry Reedy wrote:

> > "Gordon McMillan" <gmcm at hypernet.com> wrote in message news:1255272357-
> > > One of those open source delusions is that being open source
> > > somehow makes a difference to the end consumer. Bunk.

> > Whether most consumers yet know it or not, there is all the
> > difference in the world.

> Of course there is; all your points are correct. But no end user
> will read the source and discover the bug / trojan horse /
> whatever. It's another developer that will.

Which is what I thought I said, and certainly meant to say.

> My point was that to the end user, those files are a waste of  disk
space.

When binaries are available, agreed (and getting the source should then be
optional).
 Like most Windows/Pythons users, I do not currently have the source files.

> They get value from the fact that it's open sourced, not from the source.

And my point was that they do get such value with respect to aspect of
software
which has been much in the news lately.  In other words, I was trying to
present
an open-source selling point that I have not seen much discussed or
exploited yet.

I can imagine, sometime in the future, the existence of an independent,
third-party, open-source
examination and certification service.

> - Gordon

Terry