Hi,
On 9/12/06, Ted Dennison <dennison@ssd.fsi.com> wrote:
> Duncan Murdoch wrote:
> > On 9/12/2006 11:17 AM, Christopher Taylor wrote:
> >> closed-source does a better job. I've noticed that quite a few (but
> >> deff not even most) open source projects are reluctant to react to
> >> user feedback. A lot of times there is an attitude of 'well that's
> >> just not what i want my software to do' approach by the lead
> >> developers.
> >
> > I think that this is correct, but it's not a problem with the project
> > or the developers, it's a problem with the user. You're not paying
> > the developers anything, so why on earth would you expect that they
> > should work for you?
> >
> > I think the vast majority of open source projects (certainly including
> > svn) do pay attention to user feedback, because often users make good
> > suggestions. But the only reason to work on something is because you
> > think it would be a good addition.
> I'd say its not a problem with the projects, developers, or users. The
> issue is power. With a typical commercial support contract, the money
> the client pays in every month gives them some power over the
> developers. The client can coerce the developers by threatening to shut
> off the flow of money, actively refusing to pay until something is done,
> or even switching to a competing product altogether. Management
> understands these kinds of financial levers, and has become adept at
> using them.
>
> If you tell management that you will be using a product where there are
> no fees to be paid to anyone, you are basically telling them that they
> will have *no* power, as they have come to understand it. This is going
> to be scary to them.
>
> What might help is explaining what the levers of power in an open source
> product are (premiere among them being contributing work), and
> discussing what resources your organization might be willing to commit
> to the product to acquire that power, if it is desired.
I choose a vendor based on the features and the capabilities of a
product. Companies compete with both free and commercial products.
It has nothing to do with what kind of "pressure" one can apply.
I have a goal, it is to bring a product to market. The tools I use
may be free or commercial. I way the plus and minuses. I think you
put to much weight on what little influence one may have on the
features of a commercial product.
We are talking competition here. Commercial companies have bills to
pay, they know that if their competitors be they free or commercial
offer features they don't have, their revenue will decline.
Yes, there is power. The power is in consumer choice, the freedom to
pick the best tool for the job.
Sean
>
> --
> T.E.D. Work - mailto:dennison@ssd.fsi.com
> Home - mailto:dennison@telepath.com (Yahoo: Ted_Dennison)
> Homepage - http://www.telepath.com/~dennison/Ted/TED.html
>
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Received on Wed Sep 13 03:54:11 2006