I do get it, and the reality is that open source software is taking us in a direction that should scare everyone. I write software code and whether you agree with me or not, telling me I simply don’t understand is not intellectually compelling. I am not only a patent attorney, but I am an electrical engineer who specializes in computer technologies, including software and business method technologies. Unlike most patent attorneys, I do get it and that is probably why my writings can be so offensive to the true believers.
The fact that I am a patent attorney undoubtedly makes many in the open source movement immediately think I simply don’t understand technology, and my writings that state computer software is not math have only caused mathematicians and computer scientists to believe I am a quack. It is a mistake though to dismiss what I am saying here, or any of my other writings on computer software and open source. It is, after all, much easier to simply believe that someone you disagree with is clueless rather than question your own beliefs. I am used to it by now I get it all the time. I am sure that many open source advocates who are reading this are already irate, and perhaps even yelling that this Quinn guy doesn’t know what he is talking about. It is quite possible that the open source movement will ultimately result in a collapse of the industry, and that would not be a good thing. As zero is approached, however, less and less money will be available to be made, proprietary software giants will long since gone belly-up and leading open source companies, such as Red Hat, will not be able to compete. What is happening is that open source solutions are forcing down pricing and the race to zero is on. The question I have is whether this is in the long term best interest of the computing/software industry. It is difficult, if not completely impossible, to argue the fact that open source software solutions can reduce costs when compared with proprietary software solutions, so I can completely understand why companies and governments who are cash starved would at least consider making a switch, and who can fault them for actually making the switch. It seems that the global economic chaos is forcing an increasing number of companies to search for ways to reduce IT costs, which means that more and more companies are turning to open source solutions in order to get away from having to pay for proprietary software solutions. Just the other day ran an article discussing the fact that Red Hat is succeeding despite the recession.
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