An analysis of the real benefits of open source [ZT]

I. importance:

1. The popularity of the discussion shows that there are many contacts and understandings in the Chinese industry. This is a good thing. If we talk about open source concepts and discussions that will one day become popular outside of the industry (like mobile phones, automobiles, and dashboard), we believe that the domestic software industry will see an explosive growth, this is undoubtedly the well-being of our colleagues in the industry.

2. This is actually a fundamental key issue related to the entire industrial chain. If you think it is not worth mentioning, you can only say it is closed-headed. Let's give a simple example: As a decision maker in the national information industry, is it software that focuses on independent development of open-source systems, or cooperation with mainstream vendors (mainly ms? As the operators of various software companies, do they adopt open-source system software for development or commercial software? As a programmer, in this age of chaos, I am mainly studying open-source systems (now mainly Linux and Java), or studying commercial software (using Windows and. net )? As an end user, do I continue to use the D edition to wait for tickets, or do I have to learn how to use free products ....... These are all major issues related to vital interests and directions.

Ii. Advantages and Disadvantages

Such a question is not too big. I can only try my best to combine the experience I have learned with some speculation. Naturally, I can't help but give it a general idea. Let's just use it as a reference. I hope you can help me better understand it.

1. Benefits

(1) basically free: commercial software is expensive in terms of GNI per capita in China. In fact, even for foreigners, commercial software is also very expensive, so gates and others can create a commercial miracle, and the open-source foreign wind will be so fierce. Especially for programmers, if they adopt a commercial system for learning and development, the value of software on machines is also worth RMB. "There is no free lunch in the world". When Chinese people (including programmers) have used to "free lunch" for many years, they suddenly say "Lunch is no longer free, this is a terrible blow! Therefore, if you do not have enough funds to use commercial software, you may not be able to think about the open-source system one day earlier in the face of a sudden blow. (I used JB for a long time. I used eclipse six months ago because of copyright issues. Now I find that free eclipse is even more powerful .)

(2) Significance of open source code for learning and research: For most domestic users (including programmers), using open source mainly saves money. For programmers, open code is a treasure, because open source code is a shortcut to quickly improve the programmer's level. There is no genius in this world. The so-called genius, as Newton said, is "standing on the shoulders of giants ". This is why the young chivalrous man, in the martial arts novels that everyone is familiar with, is the main reason why senior chivalrous men have obtained the martial arts of the world. Learning the good things of our predecessors and developing on top of them is undoubtedly a matter of getting twice the result with half the effort. Especially for system software (Linux), it is really good to implement security customization and special purposes by modifying the source code.

(3) Open-source for commercial value: objectively speaking, open-source is basically a foreigner now. Most so-called open-source in China is nothing more than simple code, look for a book and you will have it. Nothing is worth keeping confidential. This is a technical issue, and more importantly, a market issue. foreign countries have now formed an open-source market with practical significance. Therefore, open-source is no longer an issue. A. high reputation and employment opportunities of the original author: for example, the BT author's example in the article "Open Source or not, is it a problem" on the Forum, there are also Linus Torvalds, the father of Linux, Craig McClanahan, the main architect of struts, and so on. Many open-source software for foreigners are the result of the amateur cooperation of programmers who work in software companies and educational and scientific research institutions. They are interested and energetic in cooperating with others, the purpose of presenting their work is to be recognized by the masses of the same TAO, and to be able to improve the program level and enjoy the design art in the constant communication with the same TAO. At the same time, it also gets a better job opportunity. Imagine that if these bosses just want to use commercial IDE for some so-called application, even Ms, I believe there will be no good future. B. Open-source software companies make profits by using services: free software such as MySQL and JBoss, which is a so-called "consulting" for people. That is to say, low-level software companies are the service targets, or do you have any books, materials, etc? C. Free trial mode: First free trial, get approval and market, and then convert to commercial use. In this regard, jive in J2EE and myeclipse and JSF studio recently used by the author are good examples. Free trial. To put it bluntly, it is a low-cost and excellent advertisement, which is equivalent to a smart fruit vendor trying watermelon. Therefore, open source is also a business model (to avoid this article being too long, please refer to my "Analysis of centralized and distributed software business model", which will be completed later ).

(4) open source is the opportunity and well-being of developing countries: Needless to say. (For example, I have unloaded JB a few days ago ).

Let's talk about other advantages ......

2. Disadvantages

(1) difficult to use: this is an objective fact. However, if you are still focusing on attacks when enjoying free products, you will not have to worry about it. In this world, it is difficult to have things that are easier to use than Ms products. What's more, they are free of charge. I think that the dashboard should be considered in the same way as that of the software industry in China. It can be said that version D is a cradle in which we continue to grow. But now, when version D has begun to limit our growth, it is a problem of throwing away it or sleeping in it and not growing up. Unfortunately, there is no choice at all. Just like the cradle, the D version cannot last for a long time. Therefore, it may be a problem to prepare necessary funds to enjoy "Easy-to-use" commercial software, or to learn, use, and develop "hard-to-use" open-source software. From the actual point of view, we try our best to make the product easy, which is exactly the direction of the open-source system.

(2) Learning Open-source systems is difficult and takes a long time

Linux, windows, J2EE, And. Net all know who is struggling? On the surface, it seems that this problem is easy to determine, but it is not actually true. In simple terms, low-layer applications have a high efficiency for commercial software, while high-level applications have a great value for open-source applications. At present, there are often people on the Forum cursing the lower difficulty of development, resulting in a decline in revenue, and even target open source. This is really a good man. The "Rising Tide" is the inevitable rule of all actions since ancient times, and now the IT industry is the fastest-growing industry. I have to mention ms and Internet in this regard. It can be said that it is the greatness of MS and Internet that spreads PCs and software around the world for convenience and ease of transmission, PC and software are easily eliminated and devalued. I would like to remind you that today's IT industry is extremely dangerous. Because the easy things (such as operations and simple maintenance and development) gradually become saturated. Therefore, if you try to obtain high profits as easily as in the "bubble age" and make a gold rush in this industry, you may have to think calmly. Nowadays, the IT industry in developed countries is basically a high-tech player, and this trend has started in China. If the market system is more reasonable, I believe this will be the case in 10 years. When the entire industry is mature, there will still be high salaries and many opportunities, but it is more and more difficult. Therefore, instead of complaining about the download of things that have been completed for half an hour like in e-forums, consider things that take a long time to comprehend even if they are downloaded (such as spring, OFBiz, or.. Net duwamish ). After all, the better ASP. NET is, the higher Ms returns, the less $ you get. Do you have to consider other things or do you want to make it better when you do web in the industry. However, please be confident that if you consider the benefits, "social labor time is necessary" is still a principle in the normal market system.

(3) is open-source business less valuable?

Considering the money factor, some people may say that even if Linux is superior, it is even better than windows, and it occupies the market in all aspects, it is impossible to make money like windows. That's right. Taking the current commercial application as an example, Ms is already so good that the oil and water that can be squeezed out has basically been in the pockets of Ms. Just like in the past decade, OS and office software have won Windows and Office, while dB has won Oracle, and may remain the same in the future. Then, the social economy is constantly developing, and new application demands are endless. Today, the software industry is developing in a high degree of depth and customization. However, the author estimates that it is impossible to create a general-purpose software such as MS and Oracle in the future (Gates fans may be disappointed ). Tens of thousands of small, professional, and localized software development service companies may be more realistic. Therefore, it is important to choose a commercial software system or an open source system for development. Business systems mean high costs, low levels, high efficiency, and high market acceptance. Open-source systems are low costs, higher levels and lower efficiency (mainly long learning, exploration, and integration time) and potential market space. Depending on your own strength and the surrounding market environment.

(4) unfavorable situation of open source in China

As we all know, the technical environment in China is relatively poor. Due to institutional and cultural reasons, the future of science and technology personnel in China has always been bleak. The power class with the primary competence of boast and fraud controls the domestic market, which fundamentally leads to a low level of technology. Low-level economic systems mean low-level technology and management, which also include the software industry. Under such conditions, the so-called information system construction is often a great waste of hardware and commercial software. Therefore, in terms of revenue and position, it is an indisputable fact that marketing talents are much higher than technical talents. So in this land, it may be extremely difficult to become masters like James Gosling or Anders heilsberg after years of accumulation. Going into the open-source system is undoubtedly excellent in technological research accumulation, and the final benefit is high, but it also means more painstaking efforts and risks.

I hope you will do your best to address the remaining ills ......

Iii. Summary

"Existence is reasonable". both commercial and open-source software will be developed for a long time in the present and future. The software industry has a promising future, just as it is hard. Whether it is a commercial or open-source system, it takes a long way to succeed. It should be said that the software industry has gradually become rational after its popularity. "The road is long, and we hope to share with you.