Does open source make life easy??????

[Scott Balneaves]

Matt Sealey wrote:

> I disagree. As someone once said, Linux is only free if your time has no
> value.

It's a trite phrase that sounds good, but means nothing.  I can demonstrate
savings of $650K per year.  Once you learn how to do something, it's learned.
It costs you nothing further.  See below.

> You may save money by downloading Free software (or even Free
> Software or even open source software or Open Source software - take
> your pick :) but sometimes, and most often, it takes a lot more effort
> to get it to the point where you can integrate it into your organisation.

Sure, but that's a one-time fixed cost.  Your learn the skills, and integrate.
Then, you HAVE the skills, and it's integrated.  And it's not like when new
versions of commercial software come out, you don't have to learn new things
there either.  LOTS of places had trouble with the windows 3.1 -> Windows 95
transition.  Lots had trouble with the Win 98 -> Win XP trouble.  And 10
seconds of googling will reveal that Win XP -> Win Vista's no cakewalk
either.

Certainly, Win XP -> Linux requires re-learning things as well, but you're
going to have to relearn things no matter what.  Thats just life.
You run your cost benefit analysis, and go with the cheaper solution.

For us here at Legal Aid, that was GNU/Linux.

 > I wouldn't
> expect it to be so easy to "correct" someone, and I think it's naive
> at best to assume that you could.

One supposes that humour on the internet has degraded to the point
where if I don't put 50 smileys per post, I must have been dead
serious.

:) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :)


Scott

-- 
Scott L. Balneaves | "Eternity is a very long time,
Systems Department |  especially towards the end."
Legal Aid Manitoba |    -- Woody Allen