Does open-source software = communism??

[goBigtime]

I was thinking about this earlier today...

Isn't open-source software sort of like communism?

... and, as it becomes better and better, it is a threat to the closed-source commercial (Capitalist) software companies out there.


Here is one of the definitions of communism from Dictionary.com:

com·mu·nism ( P ) Pronunciation Key (kmy-nzm)
n.

1. A theoretical economic system characterized by the collective ownership of property and by the organization of labor for the common advantage of all members.

[cluck]

Sort of, yeah. Look at linux. It started out open source without much funding and through years of people fucking with it in their basements it's every bit as easy to install and use as windows. Even a total moron could install suse linux. I guess communism CAN work!

[Joe Citizen]

Pinko

[goBigtime]

Originally posted by cluck
I guess communism CAN work!

Maybe in certain communities for certain things... but I doubt it for the any large united nation as a whole. Most of us are greedy and envious fuckers by default.

So if it worked for small communities, then eventually those communities would probably start raiding other communities if/when times got bad.

I dunno. I didn't grow up during that whole communisim-is-the-boogeyman era so I have no idea wtf it was all about really.

I like Open-Source software, but like money much more :]

[DR_PHIL]

money is good yes

[Materialist]

Hooray for open-source.

[TheFrog]

Open source is a perfective movement, always improving and developing upon the software. I think the main reason for its success is that it isnt rushed out to meet deadlines or marketing hype, it comes out when its finished and its status is accurately labeled. Microsoft have market pressure to get the next version of Windows/Office/Whatever out, whereas the Kernel contributors or Apache authors have no similar motivation, unless there are compelling features or bugfixes to add.

[johndoebob]

I love linux but open source scripts for business usage are plain wrong.They like to do things for free and have the time for it.But there are other people too who don't have a well payed job so they can code business usage scripts in their free time but want to earn money with it.It's hard to compete with free business usage open source scripts these days like phpAds,osCommerce etc. As long as we don't life in a communism world this is plain wrong