"Kinder capitalism"? It's called open source, Mr. Gates. You should try it

Bill Gates welcomed the world to a new breed of "kinder capitalism" at Davos this week. Conveniently forgetting his past, Mr. Gates declared:

We have to find a way to make the aspects of capitalism that serve wealthier people serve poorer people as well.

We have. It's called open source. Open source is "kinder" by design, no matter how capitalistically/self-interestedly it is used. Here's why:

1. Open source unlocks the value of software. Those who can, pay. Those who can't or prefer to go it alone, can.


2. Open source drives local value. Because so much opportunity exists to provide service around open-source software, local system integrators can keep open-source revenue within a local economy. Proprietary software expatriates revenue. Open-source software invests it locally.


3. Related to this, open source allows local pricing for local value. Microsoft and others long stripmined the developing world with high prices (i.e., prices high for the developing world though relatively low by Western standards). The one-size-fits-all approach never fit the developing world, even though the threat of arbitrage in software was minimal. Open source removes completely the threat of arbitrage by focusing the value of software in the services around it, services which are provided locally for local prices.


4. Open source is the gift that keeps on giving. Gates' "poorer" people own the software and continue to build it through their modifications and localizations.

There are other reasons that open source fits Mr. Gates' call for a "kinder capitalism." The point is that the open-source revolution Mr. Gates has long fought is the single-best answer for building global (IT) economies, just as it's doing in Europe right now according to the European Union.

You should try giving away open source as part of your foundation, Mr. Gates. You could undo much of the wrongs you've done the world's IT economy.

[seo2seo]

I think it's a misprint.

Bill (rtd) means that open source is a 'kinda capitalism', mistakenly believing that capitalism is that setup in which the workers own the means of production.

He's a bit loose on detail, as he's a follower of Microsoftism, in which all the software is controlled by Microsoft.

[coccolli]

IMO open source has and will continue to be the key to global IT innovation. As I look back at the rate and breadth of IT innovation across the world prior to the serious open source movement and after, I see a dramatic difference.

[botchagalupe]

"Open source drives local value. Because so much opportunity exists to provide service around open-source software, local system integrators can keep open-source revenue within a local economy. Proprietary software expatriates revenue. Open-source software invests it locally."

I love the idea, however, a lot of VC funded so called "Open Source" based companies do a lot of off-shoring of their development.

I love the fact that you are a beacon for all things open source, because like you I belive it is the correct way to produce software. However, lets not forget that in the end all of the commercial OSS companies are business and most would love to be come the next Bill Gates. They may start out with a dream but once they take on investment responsibilities they gain a new set of fiduciary duties. IMHO, an OSS company that is VC funded, I don't care how you spin it, is a software company and at that point I think the distinction you are trying to make in this post get diluted.

johnmwillis.com
opensourceinthehood.com

[JoeDuck1]

No. Emphatically. You are correct that Open Source is great, and also that Microsoft has strategically fought against open source. But Gates is correctly working to reallocate personal and corporate responsibilities. He's saying that more of the big profits and big innovation should be focused on improving the lot of those in the developing world. This is a profound approach and a virtuous one.

I don't think it is reasonable to ask Microsoft to be a key player in dismanting decades of their corporate dominance, even though I'm happy to see that fade. It's also unreasonable to suggest the benefits of Open Source development will necessarily flow to the world's poorest people. More likely they'll flow to those of us in first world who are able to take advantage of them. I'm big on Open Source, but hardly think Microsoft should be a leader in that space. I'm even bigger on focusing attention on developing world problems and the kind of conflation of issues here simply confuses people.

[Commander_Spock]

"Kinder capitalism"? It's called open source, Mr. Gates. You should try it" (By Microsoft Along With IBM Open Sourcing The OS/2 Source-Codes); and, Let All On Planet Earth - LIVE LONG AND PROSPER. ;-)

Commander_Spock

[rek2]

**** capitalism! viva el software libre!
http://www.binaryfreedom.info

[rek2]

a la mierda con el capitalismo!

[rek2]

http://www.dailyradical.org
http://www.binaryfreedom.info
No parasan!

[Papa Chango]

At Davos, "Kinder capitalism" means instead of being raped by Jack the Ripper, you get fingered by Capt.Hook.
Hey, this is the crowd that can say with a straight face that Paul (artchitect of Plan Iraq) Wolfowitz as head of the IMF did an amazing job helping the poor of the planet.
Only thing worse than greedy capitalists is greedy capitalists who pretend they are not. The PR machine works very hard to put a good face.
Listening to a bunch of wannabee dogooding idiots tell us that GWB and Poodle Blair are saints for their work for the planet's poor is really no different than listening to ex-chairman Bill.

[lintek]

"Open source unlocks the value of software. Those who can, pay. Those who can't or prefer to go it alone, can."

Very well said, that's why Open Source is my choice......