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Byron Pile wrote:
<blockquote cite="midBAY124-W25AE2AFF56BA519FF8841ABD740@phx.gbl"
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<div style="text-align: left;">The replies have been great. I'm
curious what the reponse would be if I asked Nortel or Cisco for help
in comparing their options to an opensource one :) .</div>
</blockquote>
<br>
Just some thoughts... so these are not meant to dissuade you from your
effort.<br>
<br>
You appear to have some preconceived conclusions about what your
research will illustrate. I think that having an initial hypothesis is
to be considered normal. However, as I read your posts I sense an
above-normal level of open-source patriotism that would turn me off if
I were to pick up on it in reading your research paper and looking for
some credible conclusions.<br>
<br>
Although *I* have the opinion that, in general, open-source
applications will be less expensive and better for the consumer in the
long-run, I certainly am willing to entertain that my opinion is merely
an opinion and that others may see things differently.<br>
<br>
For example, if I were to sit down and read your research paper I would
certainly hope to find case studies from multiple perspectives. I
would want to read about cases where the open source solution was
chosen as well as cases where it was deliberately not chosen... and I'd
want to get a sense of understanding as to why those decisions were
made the way that they were. Merely adding up price tags and turning
the research into a math equation tells a very narrow story. Some
businesses will decide against an open-source solution despite the
price differences. The interesting question is why.<br>
<br>
If I were to read a paper that essentially said, "Open source is great
and good. It saves the users money and can often have more features."
without considering the cases where the open source solutions are
deliberately decided against. Well, I would probably stop reading it
as soon as I got the impression that's where the paper was going. <br>
<br>
What I would be looking for in a paper like that would be an
understanding of *why* businesses are making decisions either for *or*
against open source software solutions. And then (and only then) am I
willfully going to entertain reading further on to where I anticipate
hearing you express your research-based opinions or conclusions about
the research material.<br>
<br>
Given your subject matter, you may be interested in reading The Magic
Cauldron by Eric S. Raymond (google it, and you'll find it as well as
some arguments against it). It's not entirely in-line with what you're
discussing, and he is by no means an unbiased voice, but it probably
will offer you some useful ideas and information.<br>
<br>
Lee.<br>
<br>
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