Their is a great deal of truth in what you say.
I am all for using closed source products when applicable, but their is nothing
like knowing that you can really own something. That if you spend five
years building all you processes around a software product that no mater what
happens, if that product has become so intrinsically valuable to you or your
company, that you can do with it what ever you want, including employing your
own code monkeys to support it. Though, in all practicality I have never
seen this happen, it is still something to consider and weigh in your decision
making process. However, as I am tying to explain in another thread, it
should not be the only consideration.
Another point is is you are using a product and find
documentation lacking. Once you figure out what you needed to know,
document and submit it. Or try to help improve existing
documentation.
> Just
> like any other product (MS,
Linux, or practically anything), you can
> learn all about it by using it
yourself and searching the Internet.
This is true to some extent.
However the phrase "Just like" may be a bit of a stretch
(exaggeration).
Of course, in some cases, a given M$ product [e.g.] might well have good
documentation, either published by MS themselves, or in books available either
at the library or from O'Reilly or
amazon.com, etc. ...and the "competing" FLOSS
package[s], "if any", might well be getting produced by a team of (mostly?)
volunteers on a shoe string budget ... so there may be some "room for
improvement", in their documentation.
*But*, one thing that is different, almost by definition, is
that
((stop me if you've heard this before...)):
with the FLOSS package, if you have the time, (or, the money to hire
someone to do it for you), the source code is out there, -- available, -- and
you can study it all you want [or pay someone to do so].
...and, the kind of experimenting that you can do,
includes (potentially), not just
> [...] using it yourself [...]
by executing
it, with the static "released" version of the code frozen / not changing, but
now here with the FLOSS code, you can also tweak the source code, as you are
going along, and do some experiments to see how well that helps (if at all) (if
applicable...).
and again,
if you are not a "source code" hacker yourself, you can hire someone to do so,
if you can afford it.
whereas,
(typically) with "closed source" packages, you can't "play around" with changing
the code, no matter how big /slash, "rich" you are.
BIG difference! <--(potentially...)
On Mon, Feb 23, 2009 at 1:47 PM, Dorian A. Monroe, II
<dorian.monroe@cox.net>
wrote:
My
take on that article is that Microsoft is offering classes to help
get
Americans more computer-literate so they become more valuable in
today's
down-turning job market. Many people do not have the skills (or
maybe
just lack the confidence) to interview for jobs in which they feel
they may
be under qualified. Going through a basic Microsoft class on
using
the Internet or learning the basics of how to get around in
Microsoft
Office may really help a lot of people get better jobs within
their own
companies or find something else that pays more $$. The
more
"Advanced" training noted in the article mentions Implementing
and
Supporting Windows XP is something that even many
lower-level
technicians could find useful. Like it or not, most
technical jobs that
you can find require some knowledge of Microsoft
products.
Most training classes that I've ever attended have
full-featured
time-limited versions of the software. You can download
many MS
products as trial versions directly from Microsoft. They'll
stop
working after 30-, 60-, 90-days, but that gives you time to work
with
them and learn what you want to know. If you need to use it
again, you
may need to reinstall an OS and reload the trial. But MS
Virtual PC is
useful for such testing (and is also free to download and use
without
time-limitations). If you're going to a training class, you
most likely
already have access to the software that you're learning about
and
already have the proper licensing. If not, use the trials+VMs.
Just
like any other product (MS, Linux, or practically anything), you
can
learn all about it by using it yourself and searching the
Internet.
Some people like instructor-led classes with someone that
knows the
product and can answer their questions on the spot. Some
people can
learn better on their own or with CBTs. Offering the
classes for free
may give people more incentive to better themselves and
not have to
shell out their own $$, which they may not have available to
pay for on
their own. Many local CCs offer courses on Linux, and
there are often
fees associated with them (sometimes not, but often there
are).
> Now think of this...you want to setup Server 2008,
Windows 7,
> Exchange,
> MSSQL...etc.
>
> Take total
costs of licensing (let's say serious discount of
> $50/each)...that's
$200.00.
>
> Multiply by 2,000,000 people...I just generated
$400,000,000!
> Good marketing goes a long way.
Microsoft
VirtualPC 2007 SP1 download:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=28C97D22-6EB8-4A09-A7F7-F6C7A1F000B5&displaylang=en
Cost:
$0
Windows Server 2008 R2 Beta download:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2008/en/us/R2-Beta.aspx
30-day
limit after install, can be extended to August 1, 2009 with
product code on
the download page
Cost: $0
Exchange Server 2007 SP1 download:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/evalcenter/bb736128.aspx
120-day
trial
Cost: $0
SQL Server 2008 download:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/evalcenter/bb851664.aspx
180-day
trial
Cost: $0
Windows 7 Beta download:
Ok, the Win7 beta
download isn't available from Microsoft any longer,
but you could probably
find a torrent..:S
Cost: $0
On Mon, Feb 23, 2009 at 12:29 PM , Jason
wrote:
> On Mon, 2009-02-23 at 09:59 -0700, James Finstrom
wrote:
>> Microsoft plans to boost the(ir) economy by
offering free tech
>> training to 2 million people over the next 2
years via training
>> centers and WBT. They wish to train
(indoctrinate) 2 million people
>> to
>> bring up the
"technical standings" in the US.
>>
http://www.crn.com/it-channel/214502376>>
>>
What will be the Free Software response to this?
>>
>
> The free software response to this is that you don't
have to pay a
> dime
> to learn how to use it. That is the very
basis of the FOSS community.
> While MS will *teach* people, will they
be providing all the necessary
> tools to teach with?
>
>
For example, will MS give everybody a fully functional, non-expiring,
>
full-featured application suite for every situation they will be
>
teaching?
>
> Of is their goal to give the training (via CBT) for
free while
> charging
> the people for the resources, at reduced
pricing of course?
>
> Think of it this way...I am MS...I want to
increase revenue. I already
> dumped my money into R&D...how do I
recoup?
>
> I setup a training camp with tons of CBT's that I use
internally for
> my
> people. Then I tell people I will give them
those CBT's. However, in
> order to effectively use those CBT's, those
people need to buy
> licenses.
>
> Now think of this...you
want to setup Server 2008, Windows 7,
> Exchange,
>
MSSQL...etc.
>
> Take total costs of licensing (let's say serious
discount of
> $50/each)...that's $200.00.
>
> Multiply by
2,000,000 people...I just generated $400,000,000!
> Good marketing goes
a long way.
>
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