3 ms·

"... Ask yourself: what open source software exists that solves a big problem in a large market? ..." Linux kernel?

by bootload 18y ago

wmf 18y ago
EC2, Slicehost etc. already exist. Try again.
- vulpes 18y ago
  Those don't use Linux kernel? Cmon.
  - michaelneale 18y ago
    EC2 uses XEN and a Red Hat flavour.
    - listic 18y ago
      Both use Linux kernel
      - michaelneale 18y ago
        yes of course ! sorry I thought that was obvious.
- wmf 18y ago
  I see at least two people didn't understand my comment. The point of the post was that you can make money by finding some useful open source software and making it into a service. But Linux is already available as a service; that's why I said try again.
rms 18y ago
Open Office, Firefox, The Gimp... Pretty much all of the software that is "like x, only free" (or in the case of firefox, better)
- jamiequint 18y ago
  a hosted version of Firefox would be pretty meta
  - rms 18y ago
    I know what I am doing for the next YC application round.
    - eru 18y ago
      What? ;)
  - danohuiginn 18y ago
    nah, you could sell that. vnc/rdesktop in an applet, set up to let you test your site in any browser/os combination. Like browsershots.org, but interactive.
    - etal 18y ago
      Something to let you use all your Firefox add-ons (AdBlock, Foxmarks, Greasemonkey) from inside a locked-down IE6/7 at work could be pretty suave.
systems 18y ago
I think he meant to say "Ask yourself: what open source software exists that solves a big problem in a large market?" ... then host it and provide it as a service ...
- bootload 18y ago
  "... "Ask yourself: what open source software exists that solves a big problem in a large market?" ... then host it and provide it as a service ..." I'd agree with that one. Free software allows you to take an individual copy then run it yourself or even run a company. It's not as if Free or Open source software has to serve the market any more than that.
- bjelkeman-again 18y ago
  Yes, I agree with your addendum. This is what we have done with Akvo.org. Nearly 3 billion people do not have clean water to drink or adequate sanitation. That is what I call a large market and a big problem. We have taken the open source approach to try to address this from an internet service point of view. Even though we haven't released any code yet, we have several big players investigating using our platform and software for boosting their efforts in the development aid space. Maybe we are doing something right.

"... Ask yourself: what open source software exists that solves a big problem in a large market? ..." Linux kernel?

wmf 18y ago

EC2, Slicehost etc. already exist. Try again.

vulpes 18y ago
Those don't use Linux kernel? Cmon.
- michaelneale 18y ago
  EC2 uses XEN and a Red Hat flavour.
  - listic 18y ago
    Both use Linux kernel
    - michaelneale 18y ago
      yes of course ! sorry I thought that was obvious.
wmf 18y ago
I see at least two people didn't understand my comment. The point of the post was that you can make money by finding some useful open source software and making it into a service. But Linux is already available as a service; that's why I said try again.

rms 18y ago

Open Office, Firefox, The Gimp... Pretty much all of the software that is "like x, only free" (or in the case of firefox, better)

jamiequint 18y ago
a hosted version of Firefox would be pretty meta
- rms 18y ago
  I know what I am doing for the next YC application round.
  - eru 18y ago
    What? ;)
- danohuiginn 18y ago
  nah, you could sell that. vnc/rdesktop in an applet, set up to let you test your site in any browser/os combination. Like browsershots.org, but interactive.
  - etal 18y ago
    Something to let you use all your Firefox add-ons (AdBlock, Foxmarks, Greasemonkey) from inside a locked-down IE6/7 at work could be pretty suave.

systems 18y ago

I think he meant to say "Ask yourself: what open source software exists that solves a big problem in a large market?" ... then host it and provide it as a service ...

bootload 18y ago
"... "Ask yourself: what open source software exists that solves a big problem in a large market?" ... then host it and provide it as a service ..." I'd agree with that one. Free software allows you to take an individual copy then run it yourself or even run a company. It's not as if Free or Open source software has to serve the market any more than that.
bjelkeman-again 18y ago
Yes, I agree with your addendum. This is what we have done with Akvo.org. Nearly 3 billion people do not have clean water to drink or adequate sanitation. That is what I call a large market and a big problem. We have taken the open source approach to try to address this from an internet service point of view. Even though we haven't released any code yet, we have several big players investigating using our platform and software for boosting their efforts in the development aid space. Maybe we are doing something right.