Open source isn't a language, it is a process. That's how it is making a huge
difference. To quote the quality guru's of the 1950's: if you don't change the
process, you don't effect quality. Legions of physicians miss this and run
around asking personnel for 'more quality' and/or refuse to change their own
habits. -- IV
"John S. Gage" wrote:
> I am increasingly interested in historical analogs to the open source
> movement. When Martin Luther insisted that the Bible be translated into
> German (and subsequently English), the idea was that a clerical elite was
> controlling religious practice and belief via the Latin language. The
> translations sparked all sorts of social upheaval, including, according to
> at least some writers, the American revolution.
>
> Where does this analogy break down? Quite simply at the point where one
> compares open source to English or German. Much of open source is written
> in C/C++: strictly Latin. So, in many cases, the open source movement is
> just monks talking to monks, and Gates is doing a better job with Visual
> Basic. How can you have open source in medicine when
>
> >I thought maybe 0.1% of doctors in busy general
> >practice would be able to set up and maintain a decent firewall.
> ?
>
> If I thought that this was just the tortured imaginings of my ignorant
> soul, I wouldn't post this. But this is a real problem. Things like PHP
> are doing far more for open source than the Linux kernel is.
>
> John
>
> At 06:16 AM 5/9/01, you wrote:
> >Horst Herb wrote (on 26/11/00):
> > > ...
> > > http://www.astaro.com/products/
> > > Might be of interest for doctors/clinics/practices with neither time nor
> > > knowledge to set up a proper firewall.
> > > ...
> >
> >When Horst posted this, I thought maybe 0.1% of doctors in busy general
> >practice would be able to set up and maintain a decent firewall. During
> >the last 5 months, I reckon that percentage has become smaller, as
> >security problems become more evident and more complex.
> >Does anyone know of firewall software (open or proprietary) that makes
> >it easy for non-geeks to look after?
> >I ask this from a point of view that it is the practitioner's
> >responsibility to keep his records safe.
> >Has anyone had experience of RedHat's fee-paying system maintenance
> >program, or Ximian's RedCarpet?
> >Is Debian inherently easier to maintain?
> >Are these worries relevant?
> >
> >--
> >Trevor Kerr
> >Pathologist
> >Blackburn Victoria Australia
--
Ignacio Valdes, Editor: Linux Medical News
http://www.linuxmednews.com
'Revolutionizing Medical Education and Practice'
