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I will be a contrarian but why is this a big deal? Most of the startup I know use: * Gmail, Google apps * Dropbox * Slack * GitHub * Zendesk, Intercom, Sal

I will be a contrarian but why is this a big deal? Most of the startup I know use: * Gmail, Google apps * Dropbox * Slack * GitHub * Zendesk, Intercom, Salesforce or whatever All of them are closed source. There is a lot of truth in the fact that one can only 'rely' on closed source products for non-infrastructure software. Only developers use open source products as such. Happy to be given counter examples.

eduren 9y ago
While I do see the point you're making, I would like to counter by saying that every product you listed likely is built with open-source components. Oracle doesn't want to compete with Slack, it wants Slack (and others) to be on Oracle cloud/databases.
- peapicker 9y ago
  Ummm, Oracle isn't competing with Slack, Oracle is paying Slack -- because Oracle is a Slack user... and Slack runs on AWS... ( https://aws.amazon.com/solutions/case-studies/slack/ https://aws.amazon.com/solutions/case-studies/slack/ ) See the logos under "More companies who love Slack" on the page: https://slack.com/customer-stories https://slack.com/customer-stories
tonyedgecombe 9y ago
The long-term problem for Oracle is none of the startups are using Oracle.
bdamm 9y ago
Open source is by its definition a product for developers. Developers make it useful to customers. It makes no sense to then claim this as a reason why the US Government shouldn't use or rely on open source. The US Government is large enough that if it were a company it would have major in-house developer cost centers.
- lloydde 9y ago
  > Open source is by its definition a product for developers That’s like saying a (mechanical) car by definition is a product for mechanics. Firefox.
  - bdamm 9y ago
    Firefox is an unusual exception, but I do appreciate the exception. I don't get your car analogy. Mechanical engineers had to design the car, and mechanics are needed to service cars. People who are either of those are free to do it themselves. What's the point? A business owner can't just fire up Linux and watch their bank account rise. There is a specialist job there to connect the business owner with the service that they need - unless, of course, the business owner happens to be a technical specialist.
    - lloydde 9y ago
      A car can be operated by anyone. Firefox isn’t an exception or there are so many exceptions that your generalization breaks down. Open source is not by its definition only for developers.
deleted 9y ago
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eduren 9y ago

While I do see the point you're making, I would like to counter by saying that every product you listed likely is built with open-source components. Oracle doesn't want to compete with Slack, it wants Slack (and others) to be on Oracle cloud/databases.

peapicker 9y ago
Ummm, Oracle isn't competing with Slack, Oracle is paying Slack -- because Oracle is a Slack user... and Slack runs on AWS... ( https://aws.amazon.com/solutions/case-studies/slack/ https://aws.amazon.com/solutions/case-studies/slack/ ) See the logos under "More companies who love Slack" on the page: https://slack.com/customer-stories https://slack.com/customer-stories

tonyedgecombe 9y ago

The long-term problem for Oracle is none of the startups are using Oracle.

bdamm 9y ago

Open source is by its definition a product for developers. Developers make it useful to customers. It makes no sense to then claim this as a reason why the US Government shouldn't use or rely on open source. The US Government is large enough that if it were a company it would have major in-house developer cost centers.

lloydde 9y ago
> Open source is by its definition a product for developers That’s like saying a (mechanical) car by definition is a product for mechanics. Firefox.
- bdamm 9y ago
  Firefox is an unusual exception, but I do appreciate the exception. I don't get your car analogy. Mechanical engineers had to design the car, and mechanics are needed to service cars. People who are either of those are free to do it themselves. What's the point? A business owner can't just fire up Linux and watch their bank account rise. There is a specialist job there to connect the business owner with the service that they need - unless, of course, the business owner happens to be a technical specialist.
  - lloydde 9y ago
    A car can be operated by anyone. Firefox isn’t an exception or there are so many exceptions that your generalization breaks down. Open source is not by its definition only for developers.

deleted 9y ago

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