[ale] open source wars at DOD

Joseph A Knapka jknapka at earthlink.net
Fri May 24 13:18:46 EDT 2002


Jim Philips wrote:
> 
> Remember the report earlier this week about how Microsoft was warning the DOD
> against the dangers of open source programs? Well, now tyhere is an internal
> DOD report that has come to the conclusion that open source is often "more
> secure" and "less expensive". You can be sure the PR warriors at the Evil
> Empire won't let that assertion go unchallenged. Read all about it here:
> 
> http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A60050-2002May22.html

I see M$ plays the "security through obscurity" card. How
gauche. 

All this recent hoopla about security in open source, integrity
of public data, etc. has got me asking myself the question: Is
there *ever* any advantage to closed-source software, for anyone
besided the vendor? I can't see one, myself. It is self-evidently
in the buyer's best interest to insist on open-source solutions;
only the gigantic dead weight of M$'s marketing machine obscures
this fact in practice. Eventually open-source will prevail in
a free marketplace.

Cheers,

-- Joe
   Looking for a new .sig.

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