NYCPHP Meetup

[leam at reuel.net]

Cool, and probably too true. This is a place where Software priacy hurts economic interests; if small companies had to actually pay for the software they are using their choices might be more inclined to Free/Open Source. I know my clients are happy with using free software.  :)

Also, I wonder how many of us would be available to travel, or at least give talks about the free software that we use to groups who can't economically support a full fledged training program, etc? The thought of going someplace where these decisions are being made and telling them the options they have just seems too useful. Though I'm not an "Open Source or die!" sort of person I know open source software has so many advangates over the alternative it's easy to tell the truth and feel good about it.

One more reason to keep posting Phundamentals and white-papers...

ciao!

leam

On Sat, Aug 06, 2005 at 11:45:24AM +0530, Anirudh Zala (Gmail) wrote:
> I doubt that this EMEA survey knowingly or unknowingly based upon only those companies or programmers who really do not have idea about all technologies available in the market and what suits them.
> 
> Specially in Indian subcontinent, there is still bureaucracy at management level so what technology is to be selected to build application depends upon them rather than software people who actually are going to develop it. So you know what can happen in this situation.
> 
> And how they select any existing technology from market is entirely dependent upon mouth marketing. See real time example of a small scale company going to be started, where Mr. X of company XXX software calls another company (about selection of technology to build applications), which is his relative's or who he knows better, to Mr. Y of YYY soft.
> 
> ================================
> 
> X: Hello Y, how is everything?
> Y: Fine thanks, and you?
> X: Same, just started new business you know software development and outsourcing to America (what country is this? actually they point to US) and Canada.
> Y: Good to hear, best luck.
> 
> X: Ybhai (it is tradition in India to call any person whom you are talking with), I need advice about what software is to be selected in building applications? I think PHP is in news, is it good to select it? What are you using it?
> 
> Y: Xbhai, We use Java and ASP.Net because you know how easy it to install and you know whole world is using it without any trouble. You know Java supports threading, multitasking (this person really doesn't know whether multithreading really requires in software and application that they build or not), it is robust and made by Sun where my relative works in America and he recommended it to use. And ASP by world's richest man you know Bill gates. Above both are easy to find from market and not much problems in maintenance. And if any virus attacks are there, Format everything and start again.
> 
> X: Ok, good we will choose this for our development as well. Brother tomorrow our programmer will come to your office to burn CDs of software that you have, so we will not need to find it from market, you know now pirated CDs are not of good quality.
> 
> Y: Ok, no problem. Avjo (Avjo means Bye).
> 
> ================================
> 
> Software developers who are really going to write code and to build applications can't give much feedback because it is question of their job and bread & butter, no choice. So they continue with what it is there.
> 
> Now tell me who the hell is going to use PHP and other open source technologies, when scenario is like this where top management is not interested in digging the truth about what software can really provide solution to their need, and will not require more investment in proprietary software.
> 
> People here (maybe in most of the world) like buzzwords like "Enterprise, Very costly, Robust, What a GUI, Easy to learn, Most available in market, .NET, Bill gates, Classes, Multithreading, Secure, Because my relative in America uses it, Because it is very costly but easily available from market through piracy etc." rather than actual usability of software and technologies, so if 1 company has adopted anything, other one will most likely to chose same. Where comes real time survey here to actually find what people really wants.
> 
> However only medium and large scale companies are aware of Open source software and actually using them, but figure of such companies are not that much in comparison with small scale companies. (I call these small scale companies as Hawkers.)
> 
> Even in education system, there is not any awareness of Open source software and still old software are being taught like Dos, FoxPro, Fortran, Dbase etc. just because they do not have expertise in new technologies like Linux, PHP, Mysql. And most importantly they do not want to get changed. Something is going, let it go. So it is luck by chance here that whether new company will adopt FOSS or Proprietary software.
> 
> Interestingly, I just have been appointed to takes lectures in colleges of our region about subject "Computers applications to managers" for management students. And since they didn't know what technology, software to be taught for this, they asked me to prepare course curriculum for them. They needed teaching of something like Computers introduction, an OS and Office like suits. Since I am open source lover, I told them that I will teach them about Linux, and Openoffice and they said Ok. So management students are now learning "Application of FOSS in their business". Hence to spread FOSS more and more, we should target Top level management rather than bottom level programmers because only top level is most of the time going to take decision about everything. Interesting paradox, isn't it.
> 
> I am not here comparing 2 sides Proprietary and Open source, but just depicting true picture of situation in our subcontinent. So we know what it appears is not truth always. However scenario is changing and more and more software companies are adopting open source standard but still it is much slower then expected.
> 
> I know I am deviated here from main topic, but I felt to say something to this community and this group about what actuality is.
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> Anirudh Zala