These thread(s) which I spawned have been a mixed blessing. I learned
much but sometimes felt like I opened the door to "sales pitches" for
lock-in technology. Overall I have appreciated the discussion,
education and civil disagreement.
It is interesting to me, this balance between getting the job done and
maintaining software freedom. It's obvious from this discussion and
from things I have experienced, that software freedom is usually not
highly valued. Worse, it's not even considered in many cases.
I have been in situations where arguing for freedom is a very
difficult thing to get across. And I failed. Then, years later when
the closed, proprietary solution is entrenched and causing problems,
the same people that picked it now see that the Free choice would have
been better. But, in their words, "It's too late to change."
It is this entrenchment and then exclusion of all Free Software
alternatives that Exchange causes. Because the full benefits of
Exchange are not possible without MS Software from server to client,
it is a bastion of lock-in. And businesses seems to enjoy living in
that gilded cage.
Yea, maybe the Free Software choices are not as "fully integrated" but
someday, with those of us who value freedom resisting the allure of
lock-in, someday maybe the Free choices that are good enough will be
valued for the freedom they protect.
I can dream, can't I?
Alan
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