5 ms·

Pretty short, but funny analogy. I would say true in some regards.

by anfilt 8y ago

orionblastar 8y ago
FOSS like a free toilet needs maintenance from time to time. In Thailand, the toilets are pay in some areas and they clean them and take care of them. In the USA they used to have paid toilets but got rid of them because it was called discrimination against the poor. A reason why pay software does so well is that there is hand holding within a phone call away if something goes wrong. With FOSS you might have a bug report and hope it gets fixed in the next release.
- zeroname 8y ago
  > In the USA they used to have paid toilets but got rid of them because it was called discrimination against the poor. Meanwhile, in "socialist" Europe, paid toilets are the norm. Then again, wild urination isn't a sex offense either.
  - wongarsu 8y ago
    In Europe you have to try very hard to fall below the level where you can afford 1€ for a toilet. Arguments that poor people can't use pay toilets don't really work with all that money spent to make sure people always have enough to life with some dignity.
    - nnq 8y ago
      ...it's not about affording: when they're drunk and can't find any change in your pocket, they end up pissing on a wall and stiking up the whole street. Some things need to be free even if they are easily affordable simply because (1) there's enough tax money to cover for it, and (2) a (large) proportion of people will simply find payment inconvenient so won't use the paid service, making life stinkier for everyone around. But hey, at least they got it right with EDUCATION, which probably matters more than this :)
  - nnq 8y ago
    > wild urination isn't a sex offense either UNFORTUNATELY! I'd institute jail time or corporal multilation punishment for this tbh. Lots of European cities stink like unwashed toilets! One of the most stinky examples would be Paris (and all >500k people city in France and probably Spain and Italy too).
  - Thiez 8y ago
    Perhaps not a sex offense, but it can still be illegal. Here in the Netherlands it's illegal in the "bebouwde kom" (basically within a village/town/city). But it's fine when you're in a forest somewhere (within reason - don't piss on someones leg).
- msla 8y ago
  > A reason why pay software does so well is that there is hand holding within a phone call away if something goes wrong. This is obviously untrue unless you have a support contract in hand, which means you're a business. Hell, Microsoft would probably shoot you for implying its software which you paid for comes with a warranty, let alone support. In Apple Land, "You're Holding It Wrong" is considered tech support. /s
- mikekchar 8y ago
  On the other hand, I'm having a hard time thinking of a single pay toilet in Japan where I live. I'm sure they exist, but they aren't common. The toilets are also spotless, by and large. It's part of the business ethos to provide clean toilets for the public. The idea that businesses should pay for software that is important to their infrastructure is somewhat similar. I mean, you don't have to pay, but businesses are increasingly getting the idea that it is good for their business to do so. Although I'm a dyed in the wool "Free as in Freedom" guy, I think the Open Source movement has done a lot of good by explaining to businesses that it's not just an ethical movement. It's good for business too. That message is important. Edit: Spelling
- SXX 8y ago
  > A reason why pay software does so well is that there is hand holding within a phone call away if something goes wrong. With FOSS you might have a bug report and hope it gets fixed in the next release. I dont want to play any kind of fanboy here, but in case of many software products unless you talking of huge corporate customer it's very unlikely to get any kind of proper fix faster than in open source software. Yeah there is few software companies that play close attention to end-users problems and rapidly provide fixes, but in most cases you have to wait month+ to see fix included in some future release. What author in the link is talking about is that end users of FOSS aren't often financially support developers or just random people who play role of user support within community.
- msla 8y ago
  > A reason why pay software does so well is that there is hand holding within a phone call away if something goes wrong. This is obviously untrue unless you have a support contract in hand, which means you're a business.

Pretty short, but funny analogy. I would say true in some regards.

by anfilt 8y ago

Pretty short, but funny analogy. I would say true in some regards.

FOSS like a free toilet needs maintenance from time to time. In Thailand, the toilets are pay in some areas and they clean them and take care of them. In the USA they used to have paid toilets but got rid of them because it was called discrimination against the poor. A reason why pay software does so well is that there is hand holding within a phone call away if something goes wrong. With FOSS you might have a bug report and hope it gets fixed in the next release.

zeroname 8y ago
> In the USA they used to have paid toilets but got rid of them because it was called discrimination against the poor. Meanwhile, in "socialist" Europe, paid toilets are the norm. Then again, wild urination isn't a sex offense either.
- wongarsu 8y ago
  In Europe you have to try very hard to fall below the level where you can afford 1€ for a toilet. Arguments that poor people can't use pay toilets don't really work with all that money spent to make sure people always have enough to life with some dignity.
  - nnq 8y ago
    ...it's not about affording: when they're drunk and can't find any change in your pocket, they end up pissing on a wall and stiking up the whole street. Some things need to be free even if they are easily affordable simply because (1) there's enough tax money to cover for it, and (2) a (large) proportion of people will simply find payment inconvenient so won't use the paid service, making life stinkier for everyone around. But hey, at least they got it right with EDUCATION, which probably matters more than this :)
- nnq 8y ago
  > wild urination isn't a sex offense either UNFORTUNATELY! I'd institute jail time or corporal multilation punishment for this tbh. Lots of European cities stink like unwashed toilets! One of the most stinky examples would be Paris (and all >500k people city in France and probably Spain and Italy too).
- Thiez 8y ago
  Perhaps not a sex offense, but it can still be illegal. Here in the Netherlands it's illegal in the "bebouwde kom" (basically within a village/town/city). But it's fine when you're in a forest somewhere (within reason - don't piss on someones leg).
msla 8y ago
> A reason why pay software does so well is that there is hand holding within a phone call away if something goes wrong. This is obviously untrue unless you have a support contract in hand, which means you're a business. Hell, Microsoft would probably shoot you for implying its software which you paid for comes with a warranty, let alone support. In Apple Land, "You're Holding It Wrong" is considered tech support. /s
mikekchar 8y ago
On the other hand, I'm having a hard time thinking of a single pay toilet in Japan where I live. I'm sure they exist, but they aren't common. The toilets are also spotless, by and large. It's part of the business ethos to provide clean toilets for the public. The idea that businesses should pay for software that is important to their infrastructure is somewhat similar. I mean, you don't have to pay, but businesses are increasingly getting the idea that it is good for their business to do so. Although I'm a dyed in the wool "Free as in Freedom" guy, I think the Open Source movement has done a lot of good by explaining to businesses that it's not just an ethical movement. It's good for business too. That message is important. Edit: Spelling
SXX 8y ago
> A reason why pay software does so well is that there is hand holding within a phone call away if something goes wrong. With FOSS you might have a bug report and hope it gets fixed in the next release. I dont want to play any kind of fanboy here, but in case of many software products unless you talking of huge corporate customer it's very unlikely to get any kind of proper fix faster than in open source software. Yeah there is few software companies that play close attention to end-users problems and rapidly provide fixes, but in most cases you have to wait month+ to see fix included in some future release. What author in the link is talking about is that end users of FOSS aren't often financially support developers or just random people who play role of user support within community.
msla 8y ago
> A reason why pay software does so well is that there is hand holding within a phone call away if something goes wrong. This is obviously untrue unless you have a support contract in hand, which means you're a business.