On Thu, Apr 9, 2009 at 7:05 PM, Shane Isbell <[email protected]> wrote: > Al has a valid point. If Google creates products that compete with > open-source ones, it harms the open-source ones. One big example I can think > of was Microsoft killing NDoc, a very popular doc generation tool, when they > released Sandcastle.
Shane, please, don't mention Microsoft in the context of open-source :) The only thing Microsoft are great wrt open source is to take a ready project, duplicate it, gather user base and abandon it. I think this process (embrace, extend and extinguish)[1] is copyrighted by Microsoft. [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embrace,_extend_and_extinguish So far, I haven't seen anything like that from Google, but if they do start competing with open-source projects they might end up being the only devs for their platform. > > It is a matter of the health of the open-source community. Google of course > has no obligation to not compete, as some have already pointed out. But if > they are too aggressive in competing, it will de-motivate open-source > project members. Many get started on an open-source project and continue > development because it satisfies an itch. If Google delivers a similar (or > better) product, the itch is gone. > > So Google has the option of competing with the open-source projects or > contributing to those projects and helping them grow. I'll be interested to > see how this plays out over the next 12 months. > > Shane > > On Thu, Apr 9, 2009 at 8:44 AM, Andreas Kostyrka <[email protected]> > wrote: >> >> Symbian is greener pasture? LOL. >> Actually they are trying to reform themselves, philosophically probably as >> a response to Android, but that will take some time. >> >> Andreas >> >> JP <[email protected]> hat geschrieben: >> >> > >> > >> > >> >On Apr 9, 7:52 am, mike quinn <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> You say it is unlikely that an independent developer will invest >> >> time/money/resource to make their application "look" professional and >> >> provide unique selling points, hell mend them then. >> >No I am saying they will pack for greener grass. iPhone, Symbian, you >> >name it. >> > >> >> >> >> Just because someone got there first doesn't mean that any other >> >> developer >> >> (Google included) should not be able to produce the same application >> >> that a) >> >> Looks better and/or b)provides additional killer features. >> >Sure, in an ideal world, there is always a better app around the >> >corner. This is a paper tiger however and you prove the point that the >> >paper tiger screams the loudest. Reality check! It takes substantial >> >effort to put something compelling together and - speaking for myself >> >here - I do not feel inspired to put the effort forward as long as >> >there's the Google brand looming. This is how MS Explorer kill >> >Netscape. >> >All things considered, I rather find something else to do with my >> >time. >> > >> > >> -- >> Sent from my Android phone with K-9. Please excuse my brevity. >> > > > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Android Discuss" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-discuss?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
