An article recently put out, asks the question "Why are there no Linux billionaires?"
What is the problem with there being no "billionaires"?
That's the problem with most of the people associated with this, they automatically equate success to expanse of finances.
There are many ways to define or describe "success", yet most people only seem to see the money.
Financial success does not always equate to success of a company, person or product.
MS, Bill Gates and others have made huge sums of money, becoming financially successful selling a product that even most of it's regular users consider to be a sub-par product. The primary reason for the money related "success" is due to the early use of lock-in tactics, forcing and requiring customers to use only their specified products, lacking any real competitors, again due to shady business practices tied to the product.
Also, this world has not become a "better" place with the advent of more wealthy people. More money has not improved the lifestyles of the majority of the world.
Advances in improved technology has helped make improvements though, and much of that technology that has made improvements in life in general, no matter what part of the world, has come from technology derived from social concerns and a desire to build social success, not financial success.
Financial success will come to those who desire to make other success happen first. Looking to Linux to become a billionaire will not help Linux or technology or the world in general. it will only maybe help one person (or group of persons) get more money. That's it.
Linux, isn't about making money. Go ahead, ask the people who gave it it's birth. It's about advancing the technology and the way people can access it.
If you want to make billions on software, go hang out with MS, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, IBM, Apple, etc. that's what they do.
If you want to improve technology and make it easier for people to access it, then come into the Linux world.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Same Cloud, bigger Sky
With all this talk about "cloud" computing, which has been discussed here to some degree before, and the last article I posted on Google's apps suite/package, it's time to talk about, what is with "The Cloud".
Believe it or not, there is nothing new about "cloud" computing. Yes, we have discussed it's origins a little bit before, but what is it really?
It's the concept of terminals all over, accessing some central location for a connection to not just applications and tools but even up to and including the users entire desktop environment.
Ideally, for proponents of the "Cloud", your computers will be little boxes with just enough info loaded in them to connect to a remote location, which will provide all users with rich and robust apps and tools, for a price, of course.
It's basically an extension of the origins of the original "lab computing". This was back when the computer world was dominated by huge mainframe computers that all users connected to by means of "dumb terminals" wired to it from various locations in the room or throughout the building.
With the invention of the PC, a small, powerful computer capable of independent operation and storage at your desktop, the end of the mainframe soon became clear. It was the way of the future and everyone had to have their own. It was the dawning of the "Desktop Operating System" ushered in by many but eventually "won" over and dominated by Microsoft.
After just awhile of that, people realized that connectivity was still needed and along came the Network Operating System. This allowed powerful desktop computers to be manufactured and used as, yep, servers. Just not huge room spanning servers like mainframes, but small, manageable servers that could be put anywhere.
Companies like Novell dominated the "NOS" landscape for quite awhile. Creating, among other things, the concept of "Cloud" computing. The idea that all users could connect to a central server and obtain services and functions that allowed them to work closer together and seem more integrated with one another.
You might notice,this is essentially the same type of environment as the mainframe/dumb terminals, just separated further with independent clients.
As the PC phase heated up and the power and capacity of desktop computers increased, the focus again shifted more towards the abilities to do more on the individual machine. This was fueled by Microsoft and others to create and push out "ultimate" apps and suites of apps like Office and desktop publishing, etc.
The internet and World Wide Web has also been growing and adapting. Recently bringing us to...
Now.
Where the fad is the "Cloud" again, and everyones attention is tying all the individual machines together from a central location. Just more widespread.
This is fueled partly by advanced programming languages and operating systems, the power and capacity of modern servers and the advancement of remote technology which allows laptops and blackberries and all manner of small computer controlled devices to access web connected points across the globe.
What it largely comes down to is, "We have the technology, we can do it!"
I, and some few others, are the little voices trying to be heard, saying, " Just because it can be done, does that mean it should be done?"
I'm not convinced it should. Because now, with the new "Cloud", they want to not only replace your individual tools and apps, they want to be the mainframe itself all over again and be your whole environment as well.
You will have less control over how your environment works, who has access and control over it. You will have less privacy and less control of "Big Brother" of government coming in whenever they want.
You will have to pay for it all. Not that you don't pay for what you have now, but at least what you pay for now ( in terms of computers and apps, let's not get into drm and that stuff now ) is yours and you have local control of your machines, environment and access.
Sow, we have all the tech journalists and young, fresh hot programmers and techies frothing at the mouth over the new "Cloud" and what it can do for users. They will do everything they can to make it happen. To see this huge Cloud become a reality and bend everyone to it's will.
The problem I always find, after 20 plus years of working with computers ranging from mainframes to PC's to NOS and LANS, WAN's and everything else that has come.
Big Clouds make Big storms.
Believe it or not, there is nothing new about "cloud" computing. Yes, we have discussed it's origins a little bit before, but what is it really?
It's the concept of terminals all over, accessing some central location for a connection to not just applications and tools but even up to and including the users entire desktop environment.
Ideally, for proponents of the "Cloud", your computers will be little boxes with just enough info loaded in them to connect to a remote location, which will provide all users with rich and robust apps and tools, for a price, of course.
It's basically an extension of the origins of the original "lab computing". This was back when the computer world was dominated by huge mainframe computers that all users connected to by means of "dumb terminals" wired to it from various locations in the room or throughout the building.
With the invention of the PC, a small, powerful computer capable of independent operation and storage at your desktop, the end of the mainframe soon became clear. It was the way of the future and everyone had to have their own. It was the dawning of the "Desktop Operating System" ushered in by many but eventually "won" over and dominated by Microsoft.
After just awhile of that, people realized that connectivity was still needed and along came the Network Operating System. This allowed powerful desktop computers to be manufactured and used as, yep, servers. Just not huge room spanning servers like mainframes, but small, manageable servers that could be put anywhere.
Companies like Novell dominated the "NOS" landscape for quite awhile. Creating, among other things, the concept of "Cloud" computing. The idea that all users could connect to a central server and obtain services and functions that allowed them to work closer together and seem more integrated with one another.
You might notice,this is essentially the same type of environment as the mainframe/dumb terminals, just separated further with independent clients.
As the PC phase heated up and the power and capacity of desktop computers increased, the focus again shifted more towards the abilities to do more on the individual machine. This was fueled by Microsoft and others to create and push out "ultimate" apps and suites of apps like Office and desktop publishing, etc.
The internet and World Wide Web has also been growing and adapting. Recently bringing us to...
Now.
Where the fad is the "Cloud" again, and everyones attention is tying all the individual machines together from a central location. Just more widespread.
This is fueled partly by advanced programming languages and operating systems, the power and capacity of modern servers and the advancement of remote technology which allows laptops and blackberries and all manner of small computer controlled devices to access web connected points across the globe.
What it largely comes down to is, "We have the technology, we can do it!"
I, and some few others, are the little voices trying to be heard, saying, " Just because it can be done, does that mean it should be done?"
I'm not convinced it should. Because now, with the new "Cloud", they want to not only replace your individual tools and apps, they want to be the mainframe itself all over again and be your whole environment as well.
You will have less control over how your environment works, who has access and control over it. You will have less privacy and less control of "Big Brother" of government coming in whenever they want.
You will have to pay for it all. Not that you don't pay for what you have now, but at least what you pay for now ( in terms of computers and apps, let's not get into drm and that stuff now ) is yours and you have local control of your machines, environment and access.
Sow, we have all the tech journalists and young, fresh hot programmers and techies frothing at the mouth over the new "Cloud" and what it can do for users. They will do everything they can to make it happen. To see this huge Cloud become a reality and bend everyone to it's will.
The problem I always find, after 20 plus years of working with computers ranging from mainframes to PC's to NOS and LANS, WAN's and everything else that has come.
Big Clouds make Big storms.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Google-izing the network world
There are a few different ways to discuss computer systems. Individually, networking, portability, etc...
To just look at networking for now gives us a chance to talk about services. Especially services provided by, yep, you got it, servers. Amazing huh?
In a traditional, server based network, servers are the computers that have programs that provide a feature or "service" for other computers, called "clients" ( also now called "hosts"), to make use of.
For example, Email. Email is provided typically by an "email server" which is a computer that provides an smtp, pop, imap and related other apps for the end result of providing email service to a given network.
How about Instant Messaging? Same thing, there is a program ( like the "Jabber" server app ) installed and configured on a server that other "hosts" will access with a "IM Client" app on their own computer to be able to talk "real time" with others signed into that server.
These server apps can be found available for a variety of Operating System bases, like Windows, Unix,Linux, Mac, etc and so on. They are available for a variety of costs ranging from free ( Open Source) to Commercial and often quite expensive. Many times, the app can be free but support may cost quite a bit from a support provider.
Since we are in the Linux world, we will take it from that point of view. Most of the major "servers" application-wise, are freely available, you are on your own in regard to installation and configuration, unless you get a How To or buy a book. You may even pay a company for support. There are some who take a "free" version and add their own tools and tweaks to it and charge for the support as well.
Most of the costs of providing these services on an in-house network are born by the company or person that "owns" it. This can lead to some high costs in equipment and support, either by hiring your own techs or paying for outside support.
Google has an option to provide all these services and more for your local network at no to "low" cost. The "low" cost is relative to how much you would pay for equipment, staff, software, support, etc.
You have an option of free "standard" service, which allows you to tie the group of services they offer to your own unique domain name and network. The only trade off there is you get to look at all the advertising they toss in. ( Got to pay for it somehow, right? )
Another option for businesses is the premium service which allows much more control and integration of the services into your existing network and websites, without the advertising. This costs $50.00 per year, per user. Again, that really is a low cost relative to the total of purchased equipment, software, etc...
They are even community and civic minded, providing what essentially is the premium business service package for free to schools and nonprofit organizations.
Now you might be saying, " So, is Big Bear doing ads for Google now?" , the answer would be no. I am providing an overview of an interesting alternative to in-house networking solutions is mainly what is happening here.
How to use this Google-ized package
For example, as an experiment, I have set up one of the local small schools I work with to use the Google package. They are a non-profit school with pretty much no budget for computers at the worst and scraping for modern hardware in the classrooms at the best. Building a server backbone isn't exactly the highest spending priority currently.
So, while they find money to replace and obtain computers for the kids to use in the classrooms, it is still a good idea to bring modern day connectivity tools to the staff and students.
Here's where Google came in.
For a modest ten dollars, we obtained a domain name, via one of Google's "partners", not from Google itself. Using that, we signed up for the standard package from Google, with the option to request an upgrade to the premium "School" package if we find it working out, later.
It's very interesting to note that using the domain obtained via Google, the services are integrated and managed much easier than the other option of using a domain you may already own . It is possible to use another, but the configuration of email and DNS management will take more work to point it all to Google's mail servers, etc...
Now the school has a "Start Page" that can be used as a home page from any computer that has an account and signs in as, myname@mydomain.yep. The Start Page is essentially a Google start Page, but can be customized to use your domain and images instead.
The person acting as the admin can add users, providing access to email, shared calendars, Instant Messaging, Google apps like wordprocessor, spreadsheet, etc...
The "outside" web does not have regular access to it, so for those signed in, it seems like they are using services that could be available from their own in-house servers, accessed via browser, which is the growing trend anyway.
You can access email via a local app like Thunderbird or Evolution. Upload and download docs and files for use on your own apps like OpenOffice.org or AbiWord or whatever. It can be as invisible as you like. Even more so by utilizing the premium service.
Of course, the downside is, with the standard edition, you have to view advertising and you have less integration and total management ability, as contrasted to the premium version.
It is an internet based service, so if you have any confidential documents and files, you may not feel comfortable keeping them stored online either. Google, like any other business that provides an online service essentially makes you agree to let them or the gov't look in on your files, records, etc whenever "they" feel they need or deem it necessary. So there really is NO such thing as "privacy" in this situation.
For the school, this is not really a major issue. They do have their own, on site file storage for private records and documents. The Email, IM and shared calendar services do not get used to convey "personal" information, or it shouldn't, so it's not like there is anything to "hide" there.
A school is pretty much a public place, even if it is a private school.
Should someone want to use these service packages for their small business, say if they are just starting out or just want to save some money. They will want to weigh the importance of the privacy and integration versus accessibility and communications.
For the most part, I am a control freak. I prefer to have the machines and information set up in the location I am working at and damn the costs! So it took a lot for me to initially be willing to try the Google service in this capacity.
The costs do make a big impact to any business or school or organization that wants to have access to the current tools and technology but perhaps not the budget for it.
In the context of Linux, because all the services are browser based and accessible to a wide variety of local apps, it can be implemented as easily as it would in any other OS environment.
To just look at networking for now gives us a chance to talk about services. Especially services provided by, yep, you got it, servers. Amazing huh?
In a traditional, server based network, servers are the computers that have programs that provide a feature or "service" for other computers, called "clients" ( also now called "hosts"), to make use of.
For example, Email. Email is provided typically by an "email server" which is a computer that provides an smtp, pop, imap and related other apps for the end result of providing email service to a given network.
How about Instant Messaging? Same thing, there is a program ( like the "Jabber" server app ) installed and configured on a server that other "hosts" will access with a "IM Client" app on their own computer to be able to talk "real time" with others signed into that server.
These server apps can be found available for a variety of Operating System bases, like Windows, Unix,Linux, Mac, etc and so on. They are available for a variety of costs ranging from free ( Open Source) to Commercial and often quite expensive. Many times, the app can be free but support may cost quite a bit from a support provider.
Since we are in the Linux world, we will take it from that point of view. Most of the major "servers" application-wise, are freely available, you are on your own in regard to installation and configuration, unless you get a How To or buy a book. You may even pay a company for support. There are some who take a "free" version and add their own tools and tweaks to it and charge for the support as well.
Most of the costs of providing these services on an in-house network are born by the company or person that "owns" it. This can lead to some high costs in equipment and support, either by hiring your own techs or paying for outside support.
Google has an option to provide all these services and more for your local network at no to "low" cost. The "low" cost is relative to how much you would pay for equipment, staff, software, support, etc.
You have an option of free "standard" service, which allows you to tie the group of services they offer to your own unique domain name and network. The only trade off there is you get to look at all the advertising they toss in. ( Got to pay for it somehow, right? )
Another option for businesses is the premium service which allows much more control and integration of the services into your existing network and websites, without the advertising. This costs $50.00 per year, per user. Again, that really is a low cost relative to the total of purchased equipment, software, etc...
They are even community and civic minded, providing what essentially is the premium business service package for free to schools and nonprofit organizations.
Now you might be saying, " So, is Big Bear doing ads for Google now?" , the answer would be no. I am providing an overview of an interesting alternative to in-house networking solutions is mainly what is happening here.
How to use this Google-ized package
For example, as an experiment, I have set up one of the local small schools I work with to use the Google package. They are a non-profit school with pretty much no budget for computers at the worst and scraping for modern hardware in the classrooms at the best. Building a server backbone isn't exactly the highest spending priority currently.
So, while they find money to replace and obtain computers for the kids to use in the classrooms, it is still a good idea to bring modern day connectivity tools to the staff and students.
Here's where Google came in.
For a modest ten dollars, we obtained a domain name, via one of Google's "partners", not from Google itself. Using that, we signed up for the standard package from Google, with the option to request an upgrade to the premium "School" package if we find it working out, later.
It's very interesting to note that using the domain obtained via Google, the services are integrated and managed much easier than the other option of using a domain you may already own . It is possible to use another, but the configuration of email and DNS management will take more work to point it all to Google's mail servers, etc...
Now the school has a "Start Page" that can be used as a home page from any computer that has an account and signs in as, myname@mydomain.yep. The Start Page is essentially a Google start Page, but can be customized to use your domain and images instead.
The person acting as the admin can add users, providing access to email, shared calendars, Instant Messaging, Google apps like wordprocessor, spreadsheet, etc...
The "outside" web does not have regular access to it, so for those signed in, it seems like they are using services that could be available from their own in-house servers, accessed via browser, which is the growing trend anyway.
You can access email via a local app like Thunderbird or Evolution. Upload and download docs and files for use on your own apps like OpenOffice.org or AbiWord or whatever. It can be as invisible as you like. Even more so by utilizing the premium service.
Of course, the downside is, with the standard edition, you have to view advertising and you have less integration and total management ability, as contrasted to the premium version.
It is an internet based service, so if you have any confidential documents and files, you may not feel comfortable keeping them stored online either. Google, like any other business that provides an online service essentially makes you agree to let them or the gov't look in on your files, records, etc whenever "they" feel they need or deem it necessary. So there really is NO such thing as "privacy" in this situation.
For the school, this is not really a major issue. They do have their own, on site file storage for private records and documents. The Email, IM and shared calendar services do not get used to convey "personal" information, or it shouldn't, so it's not like there is anything to "hide" there.
A school is pretty much a public place, even if it is a private school.
Should someone want to use these service packages for their small business, say if they are just starting out or just want to save some money. They will want to weigh the importance of the privacy and integration versus accessibility and communications.
For the most part, I am a control freak. I prefer to have the machines and information set up in the location I am working at and damn the costs! So it took a lot for me to initially be willing to try the Google service in this capacity.
The costs do make a big impact to any business or school or organization that wants to have access to the current tools and technology but perhaps not the budget for it.
In the context of Linux, because all the services are browser based and accessible to a wide variety of local apps, it can be implemented as easily as it would in any other OS environment.
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