[COLUG] Re: Musing on training, another view

[William Yang]

Tom Hanlon wrote:
> Here are my thoughts on training and business adoption of Linux.
> 
> I lost my urge to fight a battle about companies doing what I consider
> to be the right thing a few years ago.

Tom, you make many good points.  I think we all need to remember that
cost modeling and value analysis isn't necessarily straightforward or
simple.  And most organizations don't really do it, anyway, when it
comes to their IT.

We also need to look at the transaction cost of make a shift.  Even if I
can save 30% of my long-term IT cost by going to Linux, I may not want
to do it if the cost to get there is beyond my ability to pay.  Linux
workstations are a great example of this: you need to have parallel
support capabilities as you do for your Windows desktops, which may make
the transition too expensive even if the workstations are cheaper and
have a lower TCO.

[...]

> I do not expect companies to change and I do not expect managers to
> agree with my opinions, they do not understand linux, I do not
> understand business, although I once thought that I did, and I am sure
> that I could learn it. I find my niche and stick to it.

I actually expect companies to "go with the flow."  It's been my
experience that the technology tends to follow trends within a given
market.  I tend to think that this is part of why you see Linux and open
source technologies in certain kinds of businesses more than others --
higher ed, startups, e-business organizations, and the like.  More
risk-accepting companies are taking up Linux and OSS, because they see
benefit.  Is it critical mass to cause a shift in the overall market?  I
don't think so.  Not yet, anyway.

Finding a groove you can be comfortable with is something of great value
in life.  It tends to lead to a more balanced, happier life.

Of course, some of us -- even some of us who are in a comfortable groove
now -- sometimes wonder if there are other, even better places to go.

> Do not get me wrong, Linux rulz.. Companies... suck. So start your own,
> find your niche, do not expect companies to behave as you would expect.

You had me up to the very end.  I do expect companies to behave as I
expect.  And when we're wrong, it's just proof that, no matter how
comfortable we become, no matter how good we may think we are...  we
still have more to learn.  And, frankly, that's a good thing.

	-Bill
-- 
William Yang
wyang at gcfn.net