Why I prefer Open Source for most things.

This is a rant that I've had for a while. I've finally articulated it properly now, in a conversation with my boss. This post refines and expresses those ideas further.

It typically makes no business sense to use closed tools. If it's an operating system, a desktop application, or a service. Here's why:

It's all about the data, dummy.

None of us really cares *how* we get the data we want. We just want the data that we need, if it's music, video, text, photos, whatever in the least painless method possible.

So, assuming we agree on the fact that it's all about the data, it's a small step to reason that the tools on the back end *really* don't matter anymore.

So why use tools that cost money for something you can't modify?

To be more specific, why not use tools that don't cost anything, that allow you (or someone you hire) to write other tools for you, with all the code there for you to make modifications to suit your environment?

With closed source stuff, you get whatever documentation the vendor gives you, whatever APIs the vendor gives you, and maybe some undocumented stuff that you or someone else has found. If you can't get it done, you have to switch tools, sometimes with great cost fiscally and training. On top of all that, you have licensing issues to deal with, sometimes becoming a complete nightmare in tracking what machines have what software and moving said software around as machines get retired or repurposed.

I know the problems with training someone on a new version of a piece of software. Office 2007 for example has made things terrible by pitching the entire interface that was being used into the can and placing an entirely new interface in front of the user. Why not move to OpenOffice at that point? It will import nearly every document produced by anything. Even Office 2007 documents. It can save in most formats too, but that is mostly a moot point. It'll even dump pdfs, which is available on almost every device and OS under the sun.

That's just one example. Here's another that hits closer to home for me:

We have an appliance made by a company. It produces the very heart of our work for us. The company builds a custom piece of hardware they stick inside of a commodity box. This custom card has drivers that the company writes, as well as a software package to utilize all the functionality on the card. Sounds like a perfect place to use open software to keep costs down.

The thing is, they haven't. They run Windows Storage Server 2003 on the box. It ships with a copy of Office on board. It has a commercial editing tool to edit the data that it generates. It ships with commercial recovery software, commercial anti-virus software. They could have used open alternatives, paid another developer $150000 for a year to work out the issues that they found with the open software, and still sold the appliances for the same cost as they do now. I figure they have at least $1000 to $2000 in commercial software on the box. Sell 150 appliances, the developer is paid for, as well as all the licensing. No other investment required, except for the next version of the software/hardware combination that will need to be authored. You could contract the developer instead of hire them and keep that cost down even further.

There are plenty of other examples and places for open tools as well. Mail, web services, going so far as to operating systems. Ask Ernie Ball. Roasted by the BSA to the tune of $65000, and another $35000 for lawyers to talk them down to that number. Due solely to licensing.

Open tools allow you to build wrenches and understand completely the weaknesses and strength of your new wrench.

And let's be honest: We all like good tools.

Pictures of Alex

http://s549.photobucket.com/albums/ii367/mrsslaq/

Welcome Alexander James Ellis!

8 lbs, 6 oz, 20.25". Healthy. Pics coming sometime tonight.

Doc says "It's time"

Doc says that with all the monitoring looking like it is, a c-section is the way to go now. We'll be in the O. R. within the hour.

Progress report

No progress, but lots of pain. Drugs on the way, thankfully!

It's that time.

As many of you know, the Mrs.is great with child. The doc is saying too great. Today is the 42nd week of the journey. Apparently, after this time the likelihood of complications due to size and other issues.

We're both nervous and excited. It will be an interesting next chapter to our lives.

More news as events warrant.

More than enough rope.

One of the double edged swords with any *NIX based operating system is that it will give you enough rope to hang yourself with. Without exception.

I was testing a new way of mirroring my data from some cloud storage that the company I work for has. One of the ways to do this is with rsync. After hammering out all of the fiddly details with how the host deals with the secure side of it, and ensuring that I could sync the copy the data properly, I started playing with the ability to delete the files off of the local drive.

And... yes, yes... deleteing? Oops.

It worked exactly as advertised. Fortunately I wasn't in a directory that had anything incredibly important that couldn't be replaced.

Ah the joys of learning new tools.

Long time, no post.

A lot is going on in my life right now. Most of you know about it, but for those few who don't, here's the short-short version.

Michelle is pregnant.

I'm not sleeping well, partially because of that.

I'm switching jobs.

I'm not sleeping well, partially because of that.

I'm making stupid mistakes because I'm not sleeping well.

I'm not sleeping well, partially because of that.

More news as events warrant.

Finding truth in strange places.

I just got finished watching "Muppets Treasure Island".

Yeah, I know, doesn't exactly go with the title of the post. Hang with me a bit, It'll get there.

For those who are not familiar with Jim Henson's creation, I would point you to your favorite online DVD retailer to purchase the movies and seasons 1 - 3 on DVD of "The Muppet Show". Truly funny stuff. Much of the same antics done on the Simpsons, with more slapstick, less lowbrow toilet humour, and guest stars more in line with the time. All in live action, however.

One of the characters is Gonzo, a blue hooked-nosed "whatever" as he proclaims himself to be. He has a very admirable trait: "Embrace where you are".

Now, those words are never uttered by anyone. It's just the way Gonzo is. A few select quotes:

Rizzo: Terrific. Captured by crazed wild pigs and sacrificed hideously before a pagan altar.
Gonzo: Are we lucky or what?

Dr. Livesay: [looking at the treasure map] Say, I know what's happening here. You chaps are planning to sail to this island, aren't you? To dig up this treasure.
Jim Hawkins: Yes, but we must be quiet about it.
[whisper]
Jim Hawkins: There are pirates looking for this map.
Gonzo: [normal voice] Yeah, and they want to KILL us for it! Isn't that exciting?

Kermit: [watching Gonzo fly over the fair with a handful of balloons] Hey Gonzo, what are you doing?
Gonzo: About seven knots!

[In a hot-air balloon]
Gonzo: I'd like to try this without a balloon.
Kermit: Try what? Plummeting?
Gonzo: Yeah.

Now, it may seem strange to call this an admirable trait, but if you look deeper than the superficial gag, you see a person in a trying situation, attempting to get the most from it. It's nearly Job-esqe.

Then again, perhaps being sick has rattled my braincells too much over the past few days.

Open letter to the Obama campaign:

To the Obama campaign:

You have been running on the idea of "hope". We all hope for something. Here is what I hope for from the next president of the United States:

• I hope for a leader that will encourage less government.
  
• I hope for a leader that will encourage more personal liberty.
  
• I hope for a leader that will encourage less restrictive firearms laws.
  
• I hope for a leader that will appoint justices that interpret the constitution in a very narrow way, as the forefathers initially indicated they wanted to have happen in the 10th amendment.
  
• I hope for a leader that will encourage tax reform that does not inequitably burden those whom others consider "rich", as one whom does not fall under said description.
  
• I hope for a leader that will encourage social security reform that will prevent the system from bankrupting the government in the next 30 years.
  
• I hope for a leader that will take fights to those that would do us harm, preemptively.
  
• I hope for a leader that will encourage the idea of "personal responsibility", moving away from the "entitlement" system that we work on now.
  
• I hope for a leader that will encourage reform of, or at the very least open up for further scrutiny by the public, the vote buying system in congress, also known as earmarks.
  
• I hope for a leader that will that will make hard decisions because are right, not because they are popular.
  

Will senator Obama give me that which I hope for from the next leader of the United States?