Programmer’s Log Programmers Writing Stuff – Garry Bodsworth

Free Software – It’s Spreading

There is a good post called The "Appliancising" of Free Software which talks about how free software is helping to make appliances of computing equipment and the diversification of the "standard" software. Perhaps not the best description but the post itself brought up some interesting points.

The way I see it is that the loudest complainers (who probably don't even use free software) complain that there is too much choice in free software. Basically when you create a computer "appliance" you would use some custom software set up especially for that device. It is likely you would start with something like Debian or Gentoo and then customise it for your own needs.

Even writing commercial software the same thing occurs. I have seen the same product rebranded for not only different markets but for different resellers and agents. Then they all want their own customisations to differentiate from what is essentially the same software.

Doing the same type of thing with Windows is just insane. For a start you can't really configure the system without undocumented things and jumping through many hoops, even Media Centers are pretty much equivalent editions possibly with some changed logo graphics with only the hardware providing the differentiating factor.

Also doing the same thing from scratch is brain-damaged. Reinventing the wheel for little or no benefit will just lead to maintenance headaches. As a developer I am fundamentally lazy and will reuse what I can because it is great to stand on the shoulders of giants.

I am looking forward to this future of diversity because one-size-fits-all doesn't work and could supply better to tested and built systems that actually do what they say.