"Open-source is bad!"

[joepie91]

I keep coming across people that claim open-source is bad, that it's insecure, that it's always worse than closed-source software because developers are not getting paid for it, that they would never trust open-source software, etc etc. Besides this being factually incorrect, I always wonder if these people realize that they are constantly using services provided by open-source software without even knowing it.

Downloaded Firefox or Chrome? Open-source.

Visited a website served by Apache, Lighttpd, or nginx? Open-source.

Reading email in Thunderbird? Open-source.

Got nephew to install OpenOffice/LibreOffice? Open-source.

Using any kind of online service that is provided by a server running Linux? Open-source.

Building a website using Joomla? Open-source.

Making a blog using Wordpress? Open-source.

And so on, and so on, and so on...

[CD-RW]

Well, they never seen VLC I guess...

[BCEmporium]

OS ain't bad, it's just that a very large amount of its users are just plain leechers...

[jgraham]

I keep coming across people that claim open-source is bad, that it's insecure, that it's always worse than closed-source software because developers are not getting paid for it, that they would never trust open-source software, etc etc. Besides this being factually incorrect, I always wonder if these people realize that they are constantly using services provided by open-source software without even knowing it.

Downloaded Firefox or Chrome? Open-source.

Visited a website served by Apache, Lighttpd, or nginx? Open-source.

Reading email in Thunderbird? Open-source.

Got nephew to install OpenOffice/LibreOffice? Open-source.

Using any kind of online service that is provided by a server running Linux? Open-source.

Building a website using Joomla? Open-source.

Making a blog using Wordpress? Open-source.

And so on, and so on, and so on...

Use an android phone?

Not to mention some eReaders and some Wireless Access Points.

[compro01]

OS ain't bad, it's just that a very large amount of its users are just plain leechers...

and how does that not apply to propitiatory software users?

[BCEmporium]

and how does that not apply to propitiatory software users?

Unless they cracked it, they paid the job of whoever did it.

[jgraham]

OS ain't bad, it's just that a very large amount of its users are just plain leechers...

While contribution to OSS is important it is expected that more people will use than contribute.   They're not "leechers" any more than proprietary software users.

[joepie91]

and how does that not apply to propitiatory software users?

Unless they cracked it, they paid the job of whoever did it.

Payment does not just come in the form of money.

[BCEmporium]

and how does that not apply to propitiatory software users?

Unless they cracked it, they paid the job of whoever did it.

Payment does not just come in the form of money.

Try to sell that one at the grocery cashier...

[joepie91]

and how does that not apply to propitiatory software users?

Unless they cracked it, they paid the job of whoever did it.

Payment does not just come in the form of money.

Try to sell that one at the grocery cashier...

Ha. The place where I get my groceries doesn't require me to walk past a cashier in the first place.

[enquirer]

Chrome is NOT open-source. Parts of it are open source. Obviously Google won't make public it's Trojan capabilities.

Android is NOT open-source. It's 100% proprietary and also has extensive spying built-in.

Bitcoiners are supposed to be privacy-conscious, so should stay away from anything from the evil empire.

[joepie91]

Chrome is NOT open-source. Parts of it are open source. Obviously Google won't make public it's trojan capabilities.

1. Regardless of whether it's entirely open-source, if you have Chrome you are using open-source software.
2. What trojan capabilities exactly?

[laanwj]

@OP that's the FUD Microsoft etc spread around in the time they were attacking Linux. Some people still take it for gospel, but it seems to have become less. Starting with "friendly" projects such as Ubuntu, and IE falling behind (though they did some catch-up lately), open source became more mainstream.

Chrome is NOT open-source. Parts of it are open source. Obviously Google won't make public it's Trojan capabilities.

Tip: Chromium, on the other hand, is completely open source. It's the same as Chrome but without the Google label.

[enquirer]

Chrome is NOT open-source. Parts of it are open source. Obviously Google won't make public it's trojan capabilities.

2. What trojan capabilities exactly?

-  RLZ identifier, an encoded string sent together with all queries to Google[3] or once every 24 hours.
-  Accesses Google search on startup for users with Google as default search[4][5]
-  Has a unique ID ("clientID") for identifying the user in logs.
-  Google-hosted error pages when a server is not present
-  Automatic address bar search suggestions.
-  Bug tracking system, sending information about crashes or errors.

[BCEmporium]

@OP that's the FUD Microsoft etc spread around in the time they were attacking Linux.

FUD?! For their users universe Windows is a pretty damn secure OS. I wonder what would be with Linux holding 90% of the desktop computers around the globe!
People then come up with virus, trojan, whatever as argument, however you forget that the ones doing it do it for the major audience. They're way more up to infect someone in a 90% universe with loads of newbie users than in one of 5% with loads of nerds. Actually you already have virus targeting Firefox...

Ubuntu however was going in the right direction, up to the last version when they decided to screw it up big time. Yes, you can switch to classic, but most of the users by seeing that will take "Windows" for the "classic". Lucky Bill Gates...

[laydum]

Half of those people probably know nothing about open source

[pekv2]

People that state OS is bad are just closed minded and blind. You can nearly find any closed/paid for app in the OS world for free and is much more secure. Everything I use just about is OS. Miramar x64, Pale Moon x64, VLC, Freefilesync,windirstat,amsn,gparted,pdfcreator,7-zip, list just goes on and on. Meh, show them the light or tell'em to stfu gracefully  .

[BCEmporium]

Ha. The place where I get my groceries doesn't require me to walk past a cashier in the first place.

I guess this means; I'm still leeching my parents...

[laanwj]

@OP that's the FUD Microsoft etc spread around in the time they were attacking Linux.

FUD?! For their users universe Windows is a pretty damn secure OS. I wonder what would be with Linux holding 90% of the desktop computers around the globe!

Did I say anywhere that windows was insecure? That was not my point. In the beginning through halfway last decade Microsoft was spreading a lot of anti open-source propaganda (specifically anti-Linux), that's all.

People then come up with virus, trojan, whatever as argument, however you forget that the ones doing it do it for the major audience.

Their biggest problem is that Apple out-did them in their own game. Their OS is both more secure and more user friendly than Windows. Linux is a big threat to them in the server space but not in desktop.

[BCEmporium]

Their biggest problem is that Apple out-did them in their own game. Their OS is both more secure and more user friendly than Windows.

Hardly! Apple is about "fashion", an Apple user is more concern if the Apple's logo is well sticked to the computer rather than if it's a double-priced PC. Also their OS is far from impressive either on usability or software availability.
But hey! Back when Windows won the World it was the other way around; Windows was damn unsafe and user unfriendly than MacOS...

Linux is a big threat to them in the server space but not in desktop.

Linux keeps doing wrong turns, the only one coming close to threat Windows, Lindows, was sued by Microsoft... they got it covered. I wonder if the new look of Ubuntu wasn't input by MS hired spies to grant that thing sinks before become any threat to Windows.