[sword-devel] SwordReader .....

[Greg Hellings]

On Wed, Dec 23, 2009 at 10:43 AM, SonWon <sonwon.1 at gmail.com> wrote:
> I'll be moving from WM to Android next year when my contract expires om my
> current phone.
>
> I see WM dieing.  Microsoft has not properly maintained the platform and
> they have hidden calls in their DLLs which programmers are not allowed to
> use, unless you are a MS programmer.  Really upset me when I discovered that
> they do this.  I use to support Windows and Microsoft but this, the constant
> virus problems, and the Sony audio CD root kit mess was the last straw for
> me.
>
> I would also like to see Linux receive the same type of support but big
> business clings to Windows.

Big business clings to support, dedication and longevity.  A
worthwhile thing for those of us in Open Source to keep in mind.
There has been adoption of Linux by larger businesses... but mainly by
those who have enough money to spend on their own in-house specialists
and/or they go for SuSE or RHEL because there is definitely support
there which can be purchased from companies that are well established
and long-lasting.  When projects and products just get dropped and
dumped and left for dead, it's difficult to put confidence in them.
Windows may not be the best at every category, but it has 20 years of
longevity and stability, and Microsoft is unlikely to just walk away
from it and say, "Nah, don't have the time or energy to finish that
project, if there's a problem, just deal with it."

Look at the most successful OSS software projects: the ones that come
to mind for me are Apache and MySQL.  Apache has 14 years of longevity
and people dedicated to it.  Might not be the "best" web server by
every criterion, but it's demonstrated it has endurance.  And MySQL
has backing from a corporation from which a company may purchase
support.  Let us all keep things like that in mind as we work on and
plan and announce our projects!  As individuals and volunteers it's
much harder to ensure nothing steps on our toes and time than it is
for a corporation with revenue, lots of employees and the like.

That said, I believe I promised someone on this list I'd finish
converting a module from MSWord into OSIS some months ago...

--Greg

>
>
> On Wed, Dec 23, 2009 at 11:09 AM, Barry Drake <bdrake at crosswire.org> wrote:
>>
>> jonathon wrote:
>>>
>>> Do  I understand this correctly:
>>> * There will be ongoing support for Sword Reader;
>>> * The only ongoing development will be bug fixes;
>>
>> That is how I see the situation unless someone else climbs aboard.  Your
>> observation about other software and Windows Mobile does suggest that the WM
>> platform is becoming superseded.  Wouldn't it be nice if the same kind of
>> natural obsolescence were to begin to happen to another Microsoft product,
>> which already is outclassed by far superior competitive products.  When will
>> ordinary folk begin to realise the wonder of Linux, and when will
>> manufacturers of peripherals support it properly?
>>
>> --
>> Barry
>>
>> -- From Barry Drake (The Revd) Health and Healing advisor to the East
>> Midlands Synod of the United Reformed Church.  See
>> http://www.urc5.org.uk/index for information about the synod, and
>> http://www.urc5.org.uk/?q=node/703 for the Synod Healing pages.
>>
>> Replies - b.drake at ntlworld.com
>>
>>
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>
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