[Novalug] Explaining tech to the non-tech minded

[Dan Arico]

On Tue November 21 2006 5:44 pm, Megan Larko wrote:
> Hello Folks,
>
> As a member of the Tux.Org Board of Directors (BoD) I happened to
> receive the following email message with a query of how to explain
> FOSS cooperation and development to the non-technically or business
> minded.
>
> I'm coming to the List for suggestions/analogies/pictograms/anything.

If I may offer some observations:

The main advantage I've seen with FOSS is in the development cycle. In 
proprietary software, the process is driven as much by the marketing 
people as anything else. Specifications are drawn up for what the 
software is supposed to do and a relatively small group of people are 
put to work producing the package. If bugs crop up, there is often no 
readily accessible path to report them. When they are reported, more 
specifications are drawn up for the development team.

While a great deal of money may be available to develop the software, the 
process is unwieldy and the people who decide what the software will do 
are far removed from the people who use it.

FOSS is entirely different. Development is done by users to a large 
extent and in response to perceived needs. The development teams have 
bug reporting built in in most cases and users are free to look at and 
modify source code if they feel the need. No license fees mean projects 
may branch and code can be transferred from project to project.

Proprietary software is a top down, command driven approach while FOSS is 
an evolutionary approach. Proprietary software has marketing glitz, but 
FOSS works.

Dan Arico

-- 
One OS to rule them all, One OS to find them,
One OS to bring them all, and in the Darkness bind them,
In the land of Redmond, where the Sales Reps lie.