15th August 2008, 04:58 PM
Quote:quote:Originally posted by ShadowJack
I'm actually quite optimistic about the future use and availablity (for all) of Open Source alts to the purchased software.
There's already quite a lot out there that doesn't require specialist knowledge to use.
Maybe it comes down to individuals and their own personal ethos - I've never had any problems sharing knowledge/giving guidance on software/hardware to others outside my own unit - even competitors.
ShadowJack
I'm also hopeful about the future re open source software, but realistic enough to know that many individuals or organisations are going to struggle to keep up. I would much prefer to have it rather than blinkin Microsoft but to change everything is quite daunting without the benefit of someone who knows what they are doing. My point is that in having had the advantage with discount 'over the counter software' certain large charitable organisations are now able to exploit it further having become established enough to have proper IT departments and convert to open source, which is, I understand, '100% discounted'! Smaller organisations without the initial advantage are always going to be 2 or 3 steps behind, through no fault of their own.
At the end of the day, and getting slightly back on topic, any advantage had by units in the early days (being associated with a council/university (where that is an advantage), discounted software, being in the same building as the local HER, etc, are going to be magnified over time. This ultimately affects opportunities, the ability to operate under similar conditions and therefore such things as pay, conditions, pensions, which cannot be dealt with in a similar way across the board. Or is that reading too much into it? It's Friday aand I'm tired.