Re: Some free software is pure crap, just like proprietary.
On Thu, Jul 22, 1999 at 04:04:00PM -0400, Dale Scheetz wrote:
> The following is a rant of high emotional content, filled with much
> whining and complaining. If you aren't up for it, press delete now.
Taken into consideration - I'm getting pretty bitter about Perl right
about now:-)
> In the past weeks there has been much discussion about the moral and
> technical superiority of Free Software. I have a firm, practical case,
> where the available free software is totally useless for my fairly simple
> needs. There is not currently a Free web brouser that is at all useful to
> me.
[ i.e. a free browser that can do SSL stuff, for use with etrade.com ]
> Where is the "superior" mind share that was supposed to take the
> free netscape code and make something competative out of it? Why,
> even with the openssl libraries, is the simple text browser unable
> to negotiate with a public trading site? Why is it, that the only
> answer I keep getting to such questions is "download netscape"?
Part of the blame for this lies squarely with the US government. To
get the most out of the global network of free software developers,
it's necessary to have an unhindered flow of software, and the anti
'munitions' (crypto) laws throw a serious monkey wrench in this.
And I won't even talk about web site design. It sucks, and no one
cares about you and your text browser. You are not significant.
Not to say there isn't some crappy free software, but that's not the
best of examples.
Ciao,
--
David N. Welton < Sors immanis - et inanis - rota tu volubilis,
davidw@prosa.it > status malus - vana salus - semper dissolubilis,
http://www.efn.org/~davidw < obumbrata - et velata - michi quoque niteris;
debian.org + prosa.it > nunc per ludum - dorsum nudum - fero tui sceleris.
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