From: "Robert Comer" 

> Linux and Open source is nothing new (well maybe the level of co-operation
> is, but software has become much more integrated since the 70's so that's
> natural evolution). Open source is just experiencing a revival, in part
> because of the internet but most recently because MS is pissing off way
too
> many people. How far that's going to drive Linux and Open source I don't
> know but it is MS and the internet not some notion of "open
source" that
is
> the driving force behind the recent popularity. It's not happening because
> it's some cool new way of developing software..

I couldn't agree more...

- Bob Comer


"Geo."  wrote in message
news:3dfac9e1$1{at}w3.nls.net...
> "Jeff Shultz"  wrote in message
> news:pd5lvuc5pt91694ptpgob18j1vqu95p1mr{at}4ax.com...
>
> > Not necessarily - but like someone who decides that they need to write
> > a device driver - and can build on the work of all the other people
> > who have written related device drivers.
> >
> > Or the guy who looks through the source code to a program he's found
> > useful, and discovers that he can improve it - sends the improvements
> > off to the original author.... and discovers he's a collaborator.
>
> Back in the late 70's early 80's prior to IBM releasing the PC.. There
were
> a group of Apple ][ users who did exactly this. Almost all the software
for
> the ][ was written in assembler or in applesoft, applesoft was an
> interpreted language so the program was the source and you could examine
and
> modify anything, assembler was basically source code to anyone who wrote
> assembler. I personally spent countless hours writing things from plotter
> drivers to joystick routines for a game called trisolitare to utilities
and
> graphics routines that were parts of other programs to bbs software.
>
> Apple ][ had tons of software, programmers everywhere, sharing was done
via
> the bbs networks. Write a program and people from NY to CA were using it
> within a week. It was all free. It had little effect on the commercial
> software markets.
>
> Linux and Open source is nothing new (well maybe the level of co-operation
> is, but software has become much more integrated since the 70's so that's
> natural evolution). Open source is just experiencing a revival, in part
> because of the internet but most recently because MS is pissing off way
too
> many people. How far that's going to drive Linux and Open source I don't
> know but it is MS and the internet not some notion of "open
source" that
is
> the driving force behind the recent popularity. It's not happening because
> it's some cool new way of developing software..
>
> Geo.
>
>

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