3 ms·

Ha! Equating the relative value and effort that went into the underlying FOSS tech to "just a pencil", is a pretty accurate description of what a company does.

by janto 5y ago

Ha! Equating the relative value and effort that went into the underlying FOSS tech to "just a pencil", is a pretty accurate description of what a company does. In reality, many a company would put a frame around the picture and market itself as an innovative artist. There's value in the frame, sure...however...

onion2k 5y ago
Equating the relative value and effort that went into the underlying FOSS tech to "just a pencil", is a pretty accurate description of what a company does. Take Facebook as an example. The first version of Facebook was essentially built on 4 FOSS projects - Linux, Apache, MySQL, and PHP. Facebook couldn't exist without them (or alternatives). But of themselves nothing about those projects represents the value that lies in creating Facebook. Suggesting that the value in a product is within the programming language, database, server software, or OS that it's built on makes no sense. Certainly no more than suggesting a valuation picture owes something to the person who made the pencil it was drawn with. It absolutely doesn't. FOSS applications are tools that we use to build things. They're essential, and critical, and immensely useful, and companies ought to fund the maintenance of them much more, but they are not where the value in the applications that people use them to build comes from.
- janto 5y ago
  Facebook's value of storing and serving images and posts of individuals is all in the tech that it is built with. Are you saying that there is nothing in the engine, body or wheels of a race car that represents its value? If your product's value requires certain technical properties (robustness, speed, conforming protocols) and you did not develop those then you did not create all the aspects that your users value. A picture's ability to convey the art, absolutely does owe a lot to the technology (ink, canvas, culture) that was used in its creation.
liveoneggs 5y ago
go make a pencil this afternoon
- janto 5y ago
  indeed, it is easy to miss the shoulders we stand on
paulryanrogers 5y ago
When visiting a historical, oil baron's house the guide said the painting they had was a routine copy of a certain work and it was the ornate frame that truly demonstrated their wealth. Cultural signaling is a 'value' all its own.

by janto 5y ago

onion2k 5y ago

Equating the relative value and effort that went into the underlying FOSS tech to "just a pencil", is a pretty accurate description of what a company does. Take Facebook as an example. The first version of Facebook was essentially built on 4 FOSS projects - Linux, Apache, MySQL, and PHP. Facebook couldn't exist without them (or alternatives). But of themselves nothing about those projects represents the value that lies in creating Facebook. Suggesting that the value in a product is within the programming language, database, server software, or OS that it's built on makes no sense. Certainly no more than suggesting a valuation picture owes something to the person who made the pencil it was drawn with. It absolutely doesn't. FOSS applications are tools that we use to build things. They're essential, and critical, and immensely useful, and companies ought to fund the maintenance of them much more, but they are not where the value in the applications that people use them to build comes from.

janto 5y ago
Facebook's value of storing and serving images and posts of individuals is all in the tech that it is built with. Are you saying that there is nothing in the engine, body or wheels of a race car that represents its value? If your product's value requires certain technical properties (robustness, speed, conforming protocols) and you did not develop those then you did not create all the aspects that your users value. A picture's ability to convey the art, absolutely does owe a lot to the technology (ink, canvas, culture) that was used in its creation.

liveoneggs 5y ago

go make a pencil this afternoon

janto 5y ago
indeed, it is easy to miss the shoulders we stand on

paulryanrogers 5y ago

When visiting a historical, oil baron's house the guide said the painting they had was a routine copy of a certain work and it was the ornate frame that truly demonstrated their wealth. Cultural signaling is a 'value' all its own.