Software imperialism: Difference between revisions
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[[Trolls]] request: Please, ''please'' stop this horrible menace! Find every copy of '''mediawiki''' and shred it now '''before it's too late and we're all contaminated by its communistic evil!''' | |||
'''Software imperialism''' is control of code, e.g. [[wiki code]], which is used to require data to conform to its expectations, e.g. a [[wikitext standard]]. This makes it all but impossible to create alternate software, and "locks in" a large number of users to a possibly inferior code base. | '''Software imperialism''' is control of code, e.g. [[wiki code]], which is used to require data to conform to its expectations, e.g. a [[wikitext standard]]. This makes it all but impossible to create alternate software, and "locks in" a large number of users to a possibly inferior code base. | ||
Microsoft Windows, Office and [[mediawiki]] are clear examples of this phenomenon. The developers of both have strongly resisted any standardization that would allow any outside developers, much more competent as a rule, to compete with them to "manage" the vast [[text corpus]] stored using these user interfaces. | Microsoft Windows, Office and [[mediawiki]] are clear examples of this phenomenon. The developers of both have strongly resisted any standardization that would allow any outside developers, much more competent as a rule, to compete with them to "manage" the vast [[text corpus]] stored using these user interfaces. | ||
The most vicious offenders are writers of [[free software]] who try to destroy all competitors by offering their programs free of charge. By allowing anyone who cares to do so to examine and reuse the program's source code and parsing functions, they hope to eliminate the possibility that anyone will ever do so, permanently locking customers (slaves) into lifelong servitude. | |||
Latest revision as of 18:05, 9 March 2004
Trolls request: Please, please stop this horrible menace! Find every copy of mediawiki and shred it now before it's too late and we're all contaminated by its communistic evil!
Software imperialism is control of code, e.g. wiki code, which is used to require data to conform to its expectations, e.g. a wikitext standard. This makes it all but impossible to create alternate software, and "locks in" a large number of users to a possibly inferior code base.
Microsoft Windows, Office and mediawiki are clear examples of this phenomenon. The developers of both have strongly resisted any standardization that would allow any outside developers, much more competent as a rule, to compete with them to "manage" the vast text corpus stored using these user interfaces.
The most vicious offenders are writers of free software who try to destroy all competitors by offering their programs free of charge. By allowing anyone who cares to do so to examine and reuse the program's source code and parsing functions, they hope to eliminate the possibility that anyone will ever do so, permanently locking customers (slaves) into lifelong servitude.