May 17, 2007
all writing should be free
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What working with Microsoft has taught me so far:
1. Saying “All software should be free” sounds as silly as saying “All writing should be free”.
2. Saying “All software should be paid for” sounds as silly as saying “All writing should be paid for”.
It depends who’s doing the making. It depends who’s doing the using. Everything is contextual. About half the work I do is free. The other half is paid for. Both feed the other. Contextually.
Conclusion: The Free vs. Proprietary software debate I’ve been following recently is a red herring. At least, it is when you’re thinking about it in terms of either/or absolutes.
So I’m delighted to have found somebody a million times more informed than me, Microsoft’s Bill Hilf talking about this stuff as well.
[UPDATE:] Ha! My old high school buddy, Hamish Newlands, who now works for SAP, pipes in about the Blue Monster:
Continuing the jolly religious theme, we have Hugh, my long time friend at GapingVoid getting into the big Microsoft Beast. Blue Monster indeed, and I am happy for Hugh that he may have another major gig coming up. So I have some words of advice, being used to this kind of organisation, in my life with SAP.
“Run Away, Run Away before they eat you! Behind you! Run faster!”
[UPDATE:] Seth Godin pipes in as well:
Some critics think [Hugh is] selling out. I don’t. I think he’s having a huge impact on an organization – from the outside – at the same time that he demonstrates how just about any large organization can rethink its role in the world. And he’s doing it in front of all of us, without a net.
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Tags: Bill Hilf, Blue Monster, Hamish Newlands, Microsoft, Seth Godin
It seems to me that the whole storm in a teacup centred about Hilf’s comment comes down to two separate meanings of “Free” in English.
Perhaps Stalman should have called it Liberty Software…
I remember paying for the Netscape Browser. Then I remember Microsoft started giving away Internet Explorer, for no fee.
With the service model for IT, are you paying for the software, or paying for the service that gives you value?
I don’t “want” to pay for commodity software, but I do want to pay for support and services that give me a competitive advantage, whether they are driven by software or driven by writing.
English Cut is sexy
Stormhoek is sexy
Microsoft is boring.
Less boring, more sexy please.
John, boring for you, maybe
What’s that coming over the hill
Is it a monster? A Blue Monster?
What’s that coming over the hill
Is it a monster? A Blue Monster?
An adaptation of the hit song by The Automatics.
Sing along it’s fun. Make a good cartoon too.
I don’t care for clothes, and I don’t drink wine, but I do work with Microsoft stuff all day long. As Einstein said, “it’s relative, dude.”
All software should be free (as in speech) but not all software should be free (as in beer) that’s my perspective. I think that it should be possible to release all software at least “semi-free“
but saying “All software should free” just sounds like your grammar is wrong (unless I have fallen for a clever hugh trap which is equally likely)
“if you don’t sell out; you sell out on yourself“
— A-ron
the great conundrum of our lives…
Yesterday’s version of this article began with “All software should free”, but now it reads “should BE free.” I liked yesterday’s start better — if Microsoft or any other company can make software that enables one to be free or freer or that frees up time or creativity, then good luck to them. Perhaps that is what you bring or will bring to Microsoft — or rather, that is the meaning you will help Microsoft find — if we follow the Hughtrain track.
@ John:
Well spotted. I saw the typo and then corrected it. I concur that the uncorrected version had some unique mojo of its own, but it didn’t express the thought I intended.
Thanks for the pointer
Need I say: free as in “freedom”, not free as in “free beer”? Let’s not get confused here!