Comments on: Monopoly Freedom Day http://www.robweir.com/blog/2009/01/monopoly-freedom-day.html Thinking the unthinkable, pondering the imponderable, effing the ineffable and scruting the inscrutable Wed, 10 Mar 2010 01:51:22 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: NotZed http://www.robweir.com/blog/2009/01/monopoly-freedom-day.html#comment-2132 NotZed Sun, 08 Feb 2009 01:04:00 +0000 http://www.robweir.com/blog/2009/01/monopoly-freedom-day.html#comment-2132 Ideas become more valuable the more people you share them with.<br/><br/>Likewise, Free Software becomes more valuable the more people you share it with.<br/><br/>There's no way a proprietary model can compete with this on a level playing field - which is why they're trying to make sure it never becomes level. They will still 'lose', if they don't simply adapt. Ideas become more valuable the more people you share them with.

Likewise, Free Software becomes more valuable the more people you share it with.

There’s no way a proprietary model can compete with this on a level playing field – which is why they’re trying to make sure it never becomes level. They will still ‘lose’, if they don’t simply adapt.

]]> By: David Gerard http://www.robweir.com/blog/2009/01/monopoly-freedom-day.html#comment-2130 David Gerard Fri, 06 Feb 2009 21:35:00 +0000 http://www.robweir.com/blog/2009/01/monopoly-freedom-day.html#comment-2130 Rob - some say this is already happening. Some such as Microsoft, who blame their financial woes on netbooks, i.e. having to actually compete with Linux.<br/><br/>(It pains me to be writing this in Windows because Kubuntu 90.4a4 is unusably broken.) Rob – some say this is already happening. Some such as Microsoft, who blame their financial woes on netbooks, i.e. having to actually compete with Linux.

(It pains me to be writing this in Windows because Kubuntu 90.4a4 is unusably broken.)

]]> By: Rob http://www.robweir.com/blog/2009/01/monopoly-freedom-day.html#comment-2127 Rob Fri, 30 Jan 2009 04:06:00 +0000 http://www.robweir.com/blog/2009/01/monopoly-freedom-day.html#comment-2127 Thanks. Now of course, Microsoft in some cases discounts software for students. One of the characteristics of software is its negligible variable costs. So you can sell it at whatever high or low rate a particular market segment will support. But of course, they cannot offer a low price everywhere and for everyone. The drug dealer may give his newest customers free samples, but everyone else pays dearly.<br/><br/>That is the big difference with OSS. We <b>can</b> afford to give everyone in the <b>entire</b> world a <b>free</b> copy of Ubuntu. But Microsoft would go broke and end up on the ash heap of history if their profit margins were driven down by giving away a substantial portion of Windows and Office licenses. That is why OSS will win in the end, and why Microsoft cringes from it like a vampire from a crucifix. Thanks. Now of course, Microsoft in some cases discounts software for students. One of the characteristics of software is its negligible variable costs. So you can sell it at whatever high or low rate a particular market segment will support. But of course, they cannot offer a low price everywhere and for everyone. The drug dealer may give his newest customers free samples, but everyone else pays dearly.

That is the big difference with OSS. We can afford to give everyone in the entire world a free copy of Ubuntu. But Microsoft would go broke and end up on the ash heap of history if their profit margins were driven down by giving away a substantial portion of Windows and Office licenses. That is why OSS will win in the end, and why Microsoft cringes from it like a vampire from a crucifix.

]]> By: Conrad Mazian http://www.robweir.com/blog/2009/01/monopoly-freedom-day.html#comment-2124 Conrad Mazian Wed, 28 Jan 2009 04:11:00 +0000 http://www.robweir.com/blog/2009/01/monopoly-freedom-day.html#comment-2124 Rob,<br/><br/>Very nice, I like it.<br/><br/>Conrad<br/><a HREF="http://microsoftdelendaest.blogspot.com" REL="nofollow" rel="nofollow">Microsoft Delenda Est!</a> Rob,

Very nice, I like it.

Conrad
Microsoft Delenda Est!

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.robweir.com/blog/2009/01/monopoly-freedom-day.html#comment-2121 Anonymous Mon, 26 Jan 2009 08:41:00 +0000 http://www.robweir.com/blog/2009/01/monopoly-freedom-day.html#comment-2121 An interesting rhetorical device, but you overlook the fact that Microsoft charges much lower prices for its products in many of the countries at the bottom of your list. How would the 'date' column look if you were to calculate it using local prices? An interesting rhetorical device, but you overlook the fact that Microsoft charges much lower prices for its products in many of the countries at the bottom of your list. How would the ‘date’ column look if you were to calculate it using local prices?

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