[linux-audio-dev] Re: [linux-audio-user] Free Software vs. Open Source: Where do*you* stand?

Pete Bessman ninjadroid at gazuga.net
Tue Feb 21 14:37:49 UTC 2006


On Tue, 2006-02-21 at 12:05 +0100, Thorsten Wilms wrote:
> On Mon, Feb 20, 2006 at 11:15:48PM -0500, a Zombie wrote:
>  *too much*

I know...

> Somewhen around the Milennium, when I had no internet access and  
> didn't know shit about Linux and co, I bought Cubase VST.
> Was a great tool, except when it crashed and took Windows with 
> it. I hate to spend money on crashing software.
> I would have had to buy an update to make it run on a newer 
> than 98 Windows. Win 98 doesn't like PCI Express. This lockin/
> update stuff is one very big reason for me to stay away from 
> propietary software.
> Another one is copy-protection and how it gets in the way of 
> hounest customers only, as the crackers laugh.

This is actually about what happened to me when I first made the switch.
Things have definitely gotten more stable in Windows land, and OSX is
relatively solid, but Linux is still teh weener here.  And, obviously,
vendor lock-in and zealous copy-protection aren't an issue.

> I like the idea of being able to revisit projects after several 
> years. Open Source makes this far more likely to work.
> I hate the idea to put hours and hours of work into closed 
> file formats. It's like putting my work into black boxes that 
> are someone else's property. How nice of them to grant me acces 
> to my own work! With DRM and stuff this can only become worse.

This is a very important point, and I think it underscores the fact that
costs and benefits are variegated things.

> Finaly, I make music for the fun of it, not for being the best.
> In this age of diversity and plentifulness, creativity is much 
> about being just that bit different, I think (being all 
> different means burning bridges).

I wouldn't say I necessarily aim to be the best musician, since that
seems to be something which can't really be objectively determined.  But
I do like the cutting edge, and the fact that I can't make the kind of
music I want to make with the tools at my disposal is maddening.

-- 
Pete Bessman
http://gazuga.net
"So this baby seal walks into a club."




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