Windows Server > Linux???

[drka]

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserversystem/facts/default.mspx

that's just messed up

[Quik]

Studies only show MSSQL as more secure than MySQL because all the vulnerabilities for MySQL are published, as opposed to 'whitehats' privately submitting vulnerability reports to MS. Of course you're going to find more public references to security for an open-source product than a closed-source one.

[Newby]

A closed-source, well-funded piece of software will, in the end, always perform better than one that is open-source, and maintained as a hobby.

If Windows is at the end is the question that should be asked.

[Sidoh]

Not to mention the fact that MySQL is free.  That's definitely a component to consider when you're setting up a server.

[zorm]

I highly doubt any piece of open source software you use today is maintained as a hobby Newby.

[Newby]

I highly doubt any piece of open source software you use today is maintained as a hobby Newby.

Do they get paid for it? Is it their job?

I don't know many open-source communities that pay people to code for a project, then release that project for free.

[Sidoh]

Do they get paid for it? Is it their job?

I don't know many open-source communities that pay people to code for a project, then release that project for free.

A lot of them rely on donations.

[Newby]

Donations are not guaranteed. It's not a job if you work off of donations. That's essentially volunteer work ("donations are desired/welcome"), or a hobby, if you will.

[Sidoh]

Donations are not guaranteed. It's not a job if you work off of donations. That's essentially volunteer work ("donations are desired/welcome"), or a hobby, if you will.

When a project is successful and is used by thousands upon thousands, it's likely you've poured enough time into it to consider it your full time job.  It also generally implies that you're getting decent money through donations.

It may not be a stable source of income, but it certainly is there.

[Ergot]

If you look at the CAD, that guy's hobby is his job. That goes for many musicians as well. They do it because they love it, and if you have a passion for something the end product usually ends up better than some random guy who hates his job and gets paid x amount.

[Newby]

If you actually talk to the developers of Windows XP, they actually aren't arrogant assholes like you make them out to be. Their goal in life is to produce the best operating system on the planet, and they actually value your input. They code with a personal goal in mind: to produce a good secure OS.

Considering it is on 95% of the world's desktop computers, I'd say they've done a pretty good fuckin' job.

Those are the kind of developers that get paid $$$, that develop an OS as something they enjoy.

Compared to the developers of Linux, that develop it in their spare time and live off of donations, they make a boltload more, and have the funding to keep Windows alive for eons to come, even if nobody buys it!

[Sidoh]

Despite the fact that this is true, they still make a living.

Perhaps they'd rather do that and know they're developing open source software that ultimately benefits the programming community more.

[zorm]

Its not even donations. Take Linus who works at the OSDL for example, he gets paid to work on Linux more or less. The same goes for a lot of the bigger names in the open source world.

Also note that MySQL sells their product so its hardly a good example of people working on something as a hobby.

One of the people behind Firefox was picked up by Google, haven't a clue what he actually does there he might still be working on Firefox.

Then we have the Gentoo guy who was hired by Microsoft to do Linux related things. The list goes on and on but the truth is large corporations are funding a vast amount of the work done by people in the open source world.

[Newby]

Its not even donations. Take Linus who works at the OSDL for example, he gets paid to work on Linux more or less. The same goes for a lot of the bigger names in the open source world.

Also note that MySQL sells their product so its hardly a good example of people working on something as a hobby.

One of the people behind Firefox was picked up by Google, haven't a clue what he actually does there he might still be working on Firefox.

Then we have the Gentoo guy who was hired by Microsoft to do Linux related things. The list goes on and on but the truth is large corporations are funding a vast amount of the work done by people in the open source world.

1. The bigger names are obviously going to get paid to do what they do.

2. I didn't use MySQL as an example.

3. Now that he has a job at Google, we'll see how much time he (himself) has left to develop Firefox.

4. You've cited only a few examples. Only a few big names I'll believe actually have jobs developing open source software, so eh.

[Sidoh]

The fact remains though.  You can make a living coding for an open source project, which was my original point.