Message-ID: <3A8DBBA7.F40AD82C@alacritech.com>
Date: Fri, 16 Feb 2001 15:45:43 -0800
From: "Matt D. Robinson" <yakker@alacritech.com>
Organization: Alacritech, Inc.
MIME-Version: 1.0
To: "Mike A. Harris" <mharris@opensourceadvocate.org>
CC: Dennis <dennis@etinc.com>,
        Linux Kernel mailing list <linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org>
Subject: Re: Linux stifles innovation...
In-Reply-To: <Pine.LNX.4.33.0102161800310.2548-100000@asdf.capslock.lan>
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Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org

The day the Linux kernel splinters into multiple, distinct efforts is the
day I'll believe the kernel is fully into progress over "preference".  Right
now, Alan accepts what he thinks should go into stable kernels, and Linus
accepts what he thinks should go into future kernels.  I'm not saying they
aren't doing the right things, or that the system doesn't work, but it's
hardly what I would call a progressive movement.  It's simply long,
drawn-out evolution at best.

I'm surprised the major vendors haven't created their own consortium
by now to create a Linux kernel they think is best suited for their own
hardware.  But then again, they probably still spend all their time worrying
about whether their efforts will be "accepted" into the mainstream Linux
kernel.  Now _that's_ what I consider to be stifling innovation and
progression.

Kind of off-topic, but whatever ...

--Matt

"Mike A. Harris" wrote:
> On Fri, 16 Feb 2001, Dennis wrote:
> 
> >The biggest thing that the linux community does to stifle innovation is to
> >bash commercial vendors trying to make a profit by whining endlessly about
> >"sourceless" distributions and recommending "open-source" solutions even
> >when they are wholly inferior. You're only hurting yourselves in the long
> >run. In that respect MS is correct, because those with the dollars to
> >innovate will stay away.
> 
> Try telling that to IBM, Intel, Compaq, Hewlett Packard, Dell,
> SGI, and a handful of other _major_ computer companies that now
> realize the importance of open source.
> 
> Seriously, get a copy of Eric S. Raymond's book, "The Cathedral
> and the Bazaar" (or view it online at http://www.opensource.org),
> and read through it.  It is very well written and covers all
> aspects of what you are fearing - in a positive way.
> 
> Linux is one of the most stable operating systems ever written.
> That's not just advocacy, that is fact.  Drivers marked
> experimental are not just experimental - some are, but a lot are
> not, they just have not had anyone send in loud positive
> feedback, and so the maintainers left them that way.
> 
> If you think the various crud commercial OS's out there are
> stable and have no experimental code in them, and that drivers do
> not crash or have bugs, you haven't been computing for long.
> 
> At any rate, nobody has a gun to your head - go use something
> else that works for you.
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