Python in Process Control?

[Carlos Ribeiro]

On Wed, 6 Oct 2004 18:51:49 +0200, F. GEIGER <f.geiger at vol.at> wrote:
> I'm in the process of writing a Waterjet Control in Python (progress is
> slow, 'cause I do it in my spare time). Again and again I am considering to
> go the open source route with it. Until now I didn't dare to do so, because
> still I cannot see how I could earn my living with open source software.
> That's probably the reason, why I again and again postponed to ask here,
> whether anyone would be interested in such a thing and helping to work on
> such a thing resp.

I can't help you with detailed technical aspects. As I said at the
very beginning of this thread, my coding experience with industrial
applications was limited to data communication modules. (I also wrote
bootstrap code for 386 boards, but that's another story that I really
don't like to remember :-). But I can share my own ideas with regard
to open source coding.

For years, I've also been bugged by this same very feeling. Will I
always be able to make a living by means of open source software? At
least for me, the answer is - Yes. The reason is that I never have
lost a business opportunity because someone else just copied my code
from other place; and believe, this is rather easy to happen, no
matter how careful you are. On the other hand, I now realize that lots
of folks could have hired my services if they had the opportunity to
test some code of mine.

In other words: if you are a small company, or a individual, open
source is almost always the best route. You have very little to lose.
You already stand a very small chance to break into stablished
markets. If nobody uses you idea, even for free, you have a clear sign
that the idea wasn't that good to start with. If many people start to
use it, then you have something to make good use of. It gives you
bigger opportunities, and it helps to leverage you knowledge better.
By sharing ideas, your product gets better and bigger much faster.
It's value added, that you can leverage yourself, in the form of
services. Even better, some people may find different uses for your
product or software -- things that you would never think about
yourself -- and you may end up making even more money out of it.

The situation where open source does not make sense (or less sense ?),
is the opposite: you're a stablished company, has a big payroll, and
has invested big bucks on development. In this case you have to find a
stable source of revenue. Open source doesn't guarantee that to you,
unless you can convince big shops to sign a support contract. But for
individuals, I can't see a way to lose anything by doing it.

(btw, a good reason to use the GPL is that it stops greedy companies
from using your software for closed-source development. that's an
issue, 'will someone else make money out of my idea?'. GPL and
Creative Commons licensing addresses that issue)

-- 
Carlos Ribeiro
Consultoria em Projetos
blog: http://rascunhosrotos.blogspot.com
blog: http://pythonnotes.blogspot.com
mail: carribeiro at gmail.com
mail: carribeiro at yahoo.com