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The trouble with Open Source is that you get spoiled.
Yesterday, I was looking for a way to edit a Saved Import in Access 2007, which the little emperors in Redmond decided nobody would want to do anyway. I guess they knew my nickname is “nobody”. I eventual found a partial work around, but since Access is not open-source like most of the other software I work with, I can’t fix it for myself or others. I have to just be glad I caught it before I had done too many the “wrong” way.
Anyway, while I was looking around, I found this little jewel. The author is talking about a different problem with the same software, but it expresses the same frustration with closed-source software from a company that is too big to care what the user wants or needs.
As I said previously, Microsoft agreed that this IS a problem, Access 2007 does not work as it should in this respect.
The most frustrating thing was that nowhere could I find any reference that this WAS a known problem. I spent ages and ages trying to work out what was going wrong, knowing that, surely, something so straightforward as this couldn’t have been fouled up by Access 2007. I was slightly relieved when they confirmed that it was a known bug. [ed. in response to an email inquiry] But if only they had published something to say so…..I would have saved myself hours of messing around and angst.
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The problem I have had in the past with Open Source is it has been too easy to crash. (Could have lost a job over one incident). I am currently downloading a Linux program similar to Fruity Loops, whih I also have. I am hoping that it doesn’t crash, since I am wanting to use it over the next couple of weeks.
And another one bites the dust. I should learn to stick to the proprietary stuff, and leave the open source stuff alone. Crashed the program 5 minutes into figuring it out. I would be in a world of hurt without the Redmond emperors.
Well Paul, I guess what makes it different is that when open-source crashes on me, I can fix it. If you do not have a programming background it makes sense that you would have a different perspective.
And, yes some open-source is very buggy. Some proprietary software is too. But, some open-source software is really well written. It is just a matter of finding the ones that work.
It is also matter of needing the software that serious programmers are most likely to use themselves. Honestly serious programmers are not likely to spend much time on music unless they are paid to. And musicians are not likely to put in the time to become better than throw-it-together coders. Some do, but not enough to achieve critical mass. So in some fields proprietary is the only option.
The software programmers need/want enough to make for themselves include, Operating System, Wordprocessing, Spreadsheets, IDE, Art and Design, Project Management, Web building, GTD, Databases and anything that can easily be built on a database, calendars, and email, but not so much music and video.
By the way, almost lost a job over a software problem? That sounds like a story worth telling. You might even be able to turn that into a short post.
I was working at Mc Donalds. My store had upgraded the register system to the touchscreen system. The system OS was a Unix varriant, I believe. I did something on the server in the office, then did some kind of management function on a closed register. The system crashed. Took my boss, a self taught coder, and McD corporate 3 or 4 hours to fix whatever I had done, which essentially was simple management functions. I was told not to do whatever it was I had done again, in absolutely no uncertain terms. The operator was not happy with me either.
A year later, my boss took over IT for the operator we worked for (50+ stores). He moved all of the store register servers to Windows server. No more bugs:)
You are correct. Music types, and video I would guess, prefer to have big corporate companies build the software. They have enough to deal with getting all of the software and hardwars components to work together properly as it is. The big music software manufactures have each developed whole hardware/software packages that cover most needs. All that needs to be added is instruments. And you can even get good samples, so all you really need extra in terms of hardware is a MIDI controller.
Anyway, open source sounds like a good solution for you, and I would finish this statement properly, but it would sound way to post-modern for me:)
Paul,
Sounds more like a problem within the McD work environment. You should never, never, never blame an employee for a mistake. It is the leader’s responsibility to create an environment where mistakes are not as likely.
The only time the employee is at fault is if they refuse to follow direction. Even then, you replace them, but can never use that as an excuse when talking to customers or anyone above you. As a leader you are responsible for your follower’s actions.
Also, as you well know, I do not use an open source operating system or hardware for that matter. Open source applications need a solid foundation to run on. I invest in the infrastructure because I use it everyday and if it goes down everything goes done. For all my applications though, I prefer solutions that I can customize and stream-line to do what I need.
The customers never knew what happened. All they knew was that we had a system problem. The boss was not happy, because he had to come in on his day off after working more hours than normal. The operator was not happy because he could have lost money and had already spent several thousand dollars on the new system.
The corporate programmers finally figured out what was wrong and fixed it. It turned out to be a glich in the OS. It was fixed, and I kept my job.