[ Thanks to Sam
Hiser for this link. ]
“Companies spread falsehoods about Open Source methods of
development out of fear that it threatens their revenue stream. I
saw this first hand in a Senate committee meeting when a member of
the BSA testified against a Bill I supported. Others simply conjure
up images of wild-eyed hackers breaking into computer systems and
writing bugs. Simply put, anyone under that impression suffers from
hysterical propaganda.“I learned my stock and trade when we wore expensive suits and
polished our lace-up shoes. Anyone who has seen my computer labs
knows that we manage them professionally, securely and properly. We
also deploy Open Source and Standards-based methodology. We put out
quality products and do so using quality management and continuous
improvement. None of this should seem strange to professional
business people.“This article intends to clear up some misconceptions and can
help people transition from a closed development environment into
an open one that shortens time to market while cutting costs. I
would like you to walk away from reading this article with the
notion that Open Source Software bears a mark of
professionalism…”