Date: Tue, 23 May 2000 10:10:05 -0700 From: Doug Barton <DougB@gorean.org> To: Arun Sharma <adsharma@sharmas.dhs.org> Cc: Rahul Siddharthan <rsidd@physics.iisc.ernet.in>, chat@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: The Ethics of Free Software Message-ID: <392ABB6D.94B7C8B7@gorean.org> References: <20000521131809.A6546@sharmas.dhs.org> <20000522170335.B94994@azazel.zer0.org> <20000523085510.A5994@physics.iisc.ernet.in> <20000522222438.A11092@sharmas.dhs.org> <20000523114956.A39397@physics.iisc.ernet.in> <20000522234412.A11711@sharmas.dhs.org>
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Arun Sharma wrote:
> > (2) If all software was "free" or "opensource", the number of
> > programming jobs would decrease.
>
> It's not the total number of jobs - it's the total amount of money to
> be made, that defines the size of the economy.
This is one of the fundamental flaws in most of the arguments put forth
on this topic so far. There IS NO total amount of money to be made. The
opportunity to expand the pie is always present, in the American economy
anyway. The importance of this distinction cannot be overestimated. New
technologies, new markets, new economies are being created every day,
and radically reshaping the way we think about economics as a whole.
Just look at the internet itself if you need an (incredibly obvious)
example.
Doug
--
"Live free or die"
- State motto of my ancestral homeland, New Hampshire
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