Some examples.
- AMPS - Apache, MySQL, Perl, PHP, - all open source and under pinning truckloads of the web
- open Office, Dia, Kivio, - viable office alternatives with growing support
- XBMC, OpenNAS, OwnCloud etc - adn other media brokers / file cloud servcies
- HTML / CSS, JavaScript, Java, XHTML, XML - open standards we all use
- PDFCreator, Filezilla, Putty, WinSCP, Gnutools, SSH, Dovecote, Postgres, tools we use or are used by us for mailing, pdf creation, etc.
The starting of the OSS systems in the early 90s or earlier talked about free (as in freedom, not free beer) but a lot of open sources went the way of the dodo as people like free and dont part easily with their money, even for donations. Recently advert supported sites, more aggressive asking for donations and the sale of services have been major makers of support for OSS - but this is changing how it is used and accessed.
Recently the hall of shame of OSS software is getting crowded with faeces ware being added to what were once great products.
- PDFCreator / added tool bars and crud, but has now backed off that slippery slope to include add supported freeware and paid version without adverts.
- FileZilla - seems every second or third link has antivirus systems popping up to remove spyware, keyloggers nad tool bars.
- Filehippo, an excellent repository of great software is becoming unusable with more advert enhanced / crudware infected downloaders.
Help even Java is now trying to install that POS Ask toorbar on my dekstop with every update. Reminds me of Adobe slipping one the Mcafeee Finn in its 'free' adobe reader updates.
So - maybe a new channel? Whats free (truly free) whats not and some thoughts on how to help keep software truly free and still allow those making it to be fed and paid for their efforts.
But firstly, my newest entry into the hall of shame - filezilla - 1/2 to 1/3 links infected from sourceforge. Maybe sourceforge needs to up their game too if they are allowing this.
Shane
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Administrator
Geekzone
