7 ms·
When you see this, and then open source you realize how giving people access to your platform, to being able for them to be part and to drive the product is wha
by xlayn 10y ago
When you see this, and then open source you realize how giving people access to your platform, to being able for them to be part and to drive the product is what it makes it the winner combo.
Although I'm not sure that's the case anymore; android, apple and qualcomm they all seem to roll on the wheels of "never a copy of it".
- pjc50 10y agoIt's tricky: an open ecosystem often wins, but there are certain abuses that cannot be eradicated in an open system, and if your system becomes open you will not be able to make a profit from it.
- nix0n 10y agoI respectfully disagree. Red Hat has been able to make a profit from Linux's dominance of the server ecosystem. I'm not sure what abuses you mean, but the existence of CentOS (a nearly direct clone) has not wiped out Red Hat. The malware situation for closed vs open ecosystems would be a separate discussion.
- green_lunch 10y agoWhile Red Hat does make a profit, it's not on the actual software. Because it's Open Source, Linux is now a commodity. You need to make money either on support (which requires way more manpower), books, or things like certifications. It really makes it that much more difficult for a small company/startup to compete. You can easily scale software sales with only a few people. Support, on the other hand, quickly because unmanageable and requires a lot more time and money.
- qbrass 10y agoPeople who use CentOS are more likely to pay for Red Hat out of familiarity with the OS. It's better for Red Hat if people choose CentOS over Debian or something.