Comments on: O’Reilly Does Not Know What Open Means (Let Alone Free) http://techrights.org/2009/11/23/perversion-of-openness/ Free Software Sentry – watching and reporting maneuvers of those threatened by software freedom Fri, 25 Nov 2016 09:41:40 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.9.14 By: Roy Schestowitz http://techrights.org/2009/11/23/perversion-of-openness/comment-page-1/#comment-76293 Sun, 29 Nov 2009 23:37:59 +0000 http://boycottnovell.com/?p=22392#comment-76293 It’s good that feedback is taken into account like this.

Last week I went through Jono Bacon’s new book (from O’Reilly). It was plain PDF.

]]> By: Yuhong Bao http://techrights.org/2009/11/23/perversion-of-openness/comment-page-1/#comment-76292 Sun, 29 Nov 2009 23:32:39 +0000 http://boycottnovell.com/?p=22392#comment-76292 “including Adobe whose blobs are now required to read O’Reilly-published literature.”
Yea, I know that fiasco. And posting my link to the original BN article on this issue finally forced Tim O’Reilly to respond:
http://radar.oreilly.com/2009/10/safari-books-online-60-a-cloud.html#comment-2197553

]]> By: Roy Schestowitz http://techrights.org/2009/11/23/perversion-of-openness/comment-page-1/#comment-75960 Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:00:45 +0000 http://boycottnovell.com/?p=22392#comment-75960 Yes, the API can be substituted by native deployment/s. That’s why many people use identi.ca.

]]> By: dyfet http://techrights.org/2009/11/23/perversion-of-openness/comment-page-1/#comment-75957 Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:50:18 +0000 http://boycottnovell.com/?p=22392#comment-75957 That is also true. With proprietary API’s, whatever work one does may become unusable if the vendor chooses to withdraw them, for whatever reason it may choose and can potentially do so at any time. With a free software API, at least even if the original authors loose interest, others have the freedom to continue using and improving them. But I liked the border analogy :).

]]> By: Roy Schestowitz http://techrights.org/2009/11/23/perversion-of-openness/comment-page-1/#comment-75955 Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:41:31 +0000 http://boycottnovell.com/?p=22392#comment-75955 In Microsoft’s case, APIs expire (or are phased out or die along with a product).

]]> By: dyfet http://techrights.org/2009/11/23/perversion-of-openness/comment-page-1/#comment-75952 Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:20:16 +0000 http://boycottnovell.com/?p=22392#comment-75952 An API is more like a border, in the traditional sense. And a Microsoft API is far too often more like the old Berlin wall. If people try to leave with knowledge of how the actual stuff works, they are “shot”, well, in a legal sense, in what are called non-disclosure agreements. Those looking to come in may often need to arrange special licenses like passport fees.

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