[ale] open source wars at DOD

[Thompson Freeman]

On Fri, 24 May 2002, Pete Hardie wrote:

> Joseph A Knapka wrote:
> > 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.
> 
> I'd say that closed-source from a typical vendor is faster to respond
> to specific customer requests than an open-source project, since the
> money paid for the program can fund a dedicated customer support group
> that is acutely aware that failing to respond to customers will result
> in the loss of their jobs; typical open-source projects are not as
> responsive because there is no immediate negative feedback for slow
> fixes.

Huh??

I'm tempted to say "Prove it", but I'm time strapped to do my own research
to support the contrary. I do seem to recall seeing that open source
companies were among the faster to patch security holes. But then again,
my memory is a security hole being exploited 8-(.

> 
> 
> 
> 

-- 
===========================================
The harder I work, the luckier I get.
                    Lee Iacocca
===========================================
Thompson Freeman          tfreeman at intel.digichem.net


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