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> there isn't an aspect of computing that hasn't been improved by F(L)OSS Mmmm.. I'd have to disagree, based on my professional experience. FLOSS hasn't really
by throwaway984393 5y ago
> there isn't an aspect of computing that hasn't been improved by F(L)OSS
Mmmm.. I'd have to disagree, based on my professional experience. FLOSS hasn't really improved business software. User interfaces, Groupware, Enterprise software, Tax software, Government software, Industrial software, Telecom, POS, EHR, etc. It's hardly ever written as FLOSS because it takes a lot of time and effort, and devs don't find it rewarding to write that stuff in their free time (most OSS is written because the developer just needed that code). When there is a FLOSS solution, it's not an improvement over the proprietary alternative.
Even in "IT", there is a huge dearth of quality FLOSS used to build... anything. There's lots of one-off projects that are good for one thing or another, but very few large robust solutions, and components never seem to mix together unless they have "custom integrations" to tie them to other systems. Microsoft will forever be the king of Enterprise software integration and business productivity tools, and each industry has its own "business software" titan. SaaS and PaaS are also more closed-source than open.
When there is some FLOSS that does something difficult like video rendering, or running distributed applications, the entire industry uses it. But for the bulk of the business world's needs, often the only solutions are proprietary.