[mdlug] Linspire caves in to Microsoft patent threat

[Wolfger]

On 5/16/07, Ingles, Raymond <Raymond.Ingles at compuware.com> wrote:
>
> > If the Linux
> > kernel, the GNU operating system and KDE all moved to closed source
> > proprietary code tomorrow, I'd still use them all, and be darned near
> > as happy about it.
>
>  I wouldn't.
>
>  If Linux, KDE, et. al. became closed source, they would immediately lose
> nearly all of their advantages.

Uh... No. They might (probably would) lose their advantage in the
future, but the "immediate" effect to any user is null. Most Linux
users never even download the source code anymore, so they wouldn't
even realize the code's be closed.
I'd notice on Gentoo... upgrades would suddenly be much quicker :-D

> if all games were
> open-source, I think we'd see less games.
>
>  That being said... I think Id Software's got the right idea, open-sourcing
> their older engines to allow people to develop new games and ideas on the
> cheap. They retain their competitive advanatages as long as practical, and
> then force the game industry ahead by making sure commercial games have to
> be better than the old state-of-the-art to have a chance of making money.

I think Id's idea is *fantastic*. Unfortunately, they do not release
the kind of games I prefer to play. Doom loses its appeal to me after
an hour or so.


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Wolfger
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