Re: [chat] Re: [SLUG] Benefits of source distro (Gentoo) somewhat elusive :-)

[Bret Comstock Waldow <bwaldow@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Mon, 2003-08-04 at 23:05, scott@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
>  slug-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxx wrote on 05/08/2003 01:28:48 PM:
> 
> > <quote who="scott@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx">
> > 
> > > If I am going it install a high load email server, every little speed
> > > optimisation counts.
> > 
> > This is false. Hardware and operating systems are cheap. Maintenance is
> > expensive. 
> 
> Tell that to the bosses and clients.
> They would much rather buy cheap slightly incompatible linux hardware, and 
> me spend days on it then buy decent more expensive hardware...

I haven't analyzed this, but I think there may be an important societal
benefit from this sort of "cheapness" - more people stay employed.

If we still paid people after we replace them with robots or "more
efficiency" or overseas outsourcing or whatnot, society might benefit
from such improvements but I'm not sure I see that happening.

I am beginning to think that a value socially of Free Software is in
preventing a concentration of power ("There Can Only Be One").  That
Free Software is a kitset, and you hire a mechanic to assemble and tune
it.  But not centrally controlled, just a byproduct of not allowing
ownership of all information.

But I haven't analyzed it.

Cheers,
Bret

-- 
bwaldow at alum dot mit dot edu