Open Source Advocacy: Wheeler revised his paper “Why Open Source Software / Free Software (OSS/FS, FLOSS, or FOSS)? Look at the Numbers!”
David Wheeler, who I always mention talking about Commercial open source, just released a revised version of his most famous paper, Why Open Source Software / Free Software (OSS/FS, FLOSS, or FOSS)? Look at the Numbers!“. The study contains quantitative data showing that considering FLOSS makes a lot of sense.
/dev/porsche by Xenedis
This paper provides quantitative data that, in many cases, using open source software / free software (abbreviated as OSS/FS, FLOSS, or FOSS) is a reasonable or even superior approach to using their proprietary competition according to various measures. This paper’s goal is to show that you should consider using OSS/FS when acquiring software. This paper examines market share, reliability, performance, scalability, security, and total cost of ownership. It also has sections on non-quantitative issues, unnecessary fears, OSS/FS on the desktop, usage reports, governments and OSS/FS, other sites providing related information, and ends with some conclusions. An appendix gives more background information about OSS/FS. You can view this paper at http://www.dwheeler.com/oss_fs_why.html.
Roberto Galoppini and 
Andrea Trasatti 4:19 pm on April 30, 2007 Permalink
It took me a couple of weeks to find the time to read this article… Not yours, Roberto, but the original by Wheeler. It is interesting in the beginning, but honestly it just becomes boring after you realize that it’s about 70 pages of raw numbers.
Anyway, I am sure it’s been a LONG work to collect these.
I think the update should have also removed totally outdated resources, such the statistic that said that linux handhelds have about the same installbase as microsoft windows-based. Unfortunately, this is not true by far, today.
Roberto Galoppini 8:45 pm on May 6, 2007 Permalink
Andrea I suggest you to write David, he is always open to others’ suggestions.