The main uncool thing about Open Source stuff

Comments

# Jeff said on March 25, 2007 9:28 PM:

I've had various experiences that relate to that. I'm pragmatic. I'm a problem solver. I build solutions using technology. I definitely have a personal preference for Microsoft but I stand in utter awe when I see online forums where people say "all Microsoft software sucks" at the briefest mention of Microsoft.

This is purely anecdotal, but I see many Microsoft fans that are open to using open source/Linux software, but in the open source world, I see a lot of vitriole directed at Microsoft no matter WHAT Microsoft does. It frustrates the hell out of me because the most vocal people end up representing their community, for better or worse.

I'm a problem solver, not someone that's going to pick a side in technology wars, cover my ears and yell at the other side "you suck!" I KNOW the open source community has many people that feel the same way. They definitely need to take the floor.

# mrpeabody said on March 26, 2007 1:56 AM:

Well written Bill.  I deal with a couple of people who are in this 'everything Microsoft is bad', 'everything Open Source is good' camp and it's tiring and damned boring.  

I'll use whatever tool/technology suits the purpose and gets the job done in the most cost effective way.  Sometimes that means Open Source, sometimes it is Microsoft or another licensed technology.  It depends on the scenario, the support requirements and any number of other factors.

I've always believed that having a closed mind to a certain technology on 'religious' grounds does not serve the customer in the best possible way.

# rgz said on May 4, 2007 3:29 PM:

Funny how everybody goes thought different experiences. To me, when working with OSS people, MS people and 'hybrid' people, this are the impressions I get.

For OSS guys, any mention of MS means --incompatibility hell-- you can get your products to work and cooperate and coordinate pretty well, but when you have to jump the "microsoft bridge" you find yourself doing a lot of MS special casing. That expression "MS Bridge" pretty much sums up the feeling, that MS is on its own separete island, and you have to take a bridge (with an expensibe toll to boot) to get to this other island. Maybe if you worked mostly outside MS world you could understand why using * individually* each MS product suck so much. Because each one is another bridge you have to take. But when you live in MS Island these jumps are invisible or very smooth so you don't notice.

"MS people" on the other hand, don't make me laugh, these are most unreasonable people i have to work with, they dismiss anything OSS and almost anything non MS as junk. They also use every MS product they can, even though they don't really need them. These people effectively qualify as fanboys.

Hybrids, as it seems you are not fanboys but still live in the MS shores and the bias stated above applies to them exactly the same but in reverse, they find working with OSS products a hassle because they'd have to take bridges to use them, however many pieces of OSS take the effort to ship a Windows Ready Solution, you guys are spoiled.