On Thu, 11 Dec 2003, Jeff Waugh wrote:
> <quote who="Mike MacCana">
>
> > But a lot of people, including a good portion of Linux users (maybe even
> > most) have no idea what Open Source means other some vague notion that it
> > can be $free to acquire and comes with source code. This can include not
> > Open Source software such as QMail, Windows, or Pine.
>
> Here's a question I've been asking a lot of people recently. Which do you
> care *more* about:
>
> a) An alternative to Windows
>
> b) Access to source code
>
> c) The ideal of continuing software freedom
>
Oooh! probably b) but c) is close behind.
Back around 1990 a friend & sysop (Jim Hirst - AKA JimZ, JimmyZ from Nova
96.9 FM) was shopping for a multi-line BBS system on DOS capable of
handling at least 16 modems (after tiring of running Arcadia BBS on a
Microbee). I think one was about $1500 for a system we knew well but
didn't come with source (TBBS). The other was about $2000 with source code
(MajorBBS).
After thinking a bit and checking out another system running it (Adam BBS
in Adelaide with 32 lines - www.adam.com.au, and Nemesis in Melbourne
(found from the PAMS list (Public Access Messaging System), anyone
remember that?) - STD calls at $0.40/min) and well before 'Open Source'
but at a time Shareware was popular I advised Jim to fork out the $2000.00
A fellow user, Nick Zervos took on the job of maintaining the C code (and
became sysop) and there's no way it would have been still running until
just last December if there was no access to the source, yes that's about
12 years and let me tell you, by the end of it, the system looked almost
nothing like the original to the users.
It's also meant that *some* stuff could be ported to Linux and indeed the
system has been mostly rewritten (by Nick again) for Linux (the old one
was DOS6.2) and is on the internet. - www.activebbs.org
--
---<GRiP>---
Electronic Hobbyist, Former Arcadia BBS nut, Occasional nudist,
Linux Guru, SLUG/AUUG/Linux Australia member, Sydney Flashmobber,
BMX rider, Walker, Raver & rave music lover, Big kid that refuses
to grow up. I'd make a good family pet, take me home today!
Do people actually read these things?
--
SLUG - Sydney Linux User's Group - http://slug.org.au/
More Info: http://lists.slug.org.au/listinfo/slug
