Software Culture: Proprietary vs Open Source

Calvin Michel Sidjaja on June 8th, 2008

[Image] Just lately I installed Ubuntu in my laptop, now my joybook s41 could dual boot. It has Linux Ubuntu and Windows XP installed.

Why do you ask? Why using Linux when you have Windows XP? My friends somewhat see me strange person, I encouraged them using Ubuntu if they happen to use pirated version of Windows OS. Surprisingly, they don’t care and prefer to pirated version instead of using Ubuntu, the legal and free Operating system.

Isn’t it strange? Years ago software’s price is far from affordable, 99% of computer users in Indonesia using pirated Windows, the reason is simple, original software is too expensive.

Even though income has raised, many still using pirated version instead of buying it legally. Windows XP SP 2 is priced around $80 why bother risk yourself using pirated version when you could buy the legal one already?

If you are not willing to buy the legal software, why not switching to free, stable Linux Ubuntu?

Proprietary vs Open Source Software: The Price or The Culture?

Somehow the war between Proprietary vs Open Source Software is not necessarily caused by the price. People in developing countries naturally find proprietary software expensive.

Indonesia for instance, allocated a very low budget to software development. Software developers must struggle alone to develop their software, and this eventually make another form of dependency. Instead of allocating budget to develop our own software, we prefer to buy from external source. Sad fact, but it’s the honest truth.

Programming and software development only being taught to high profile schools. Sometime, even though students have learned basic programming, they don’t continue the skill to the level they could develop their own program. Well, software market is the least attracting thing in Indonesia when most of the users still have least respect to intellectual property. This is an endless debate, so I will just skip it.

Software Culture and Hegemony

Now, if we are talking about hegemony, what is the best way to describe that America is still the world’s strongest hegemon? What is the best way to preserve hegemony other than making huge debt, making people addicted to Hollywood’s films, or constructing English as high-profile, prestigious language?

Software culture of course. I’m pretty sure most of software installed in your pc, laptop come from America, at least from Microsoft.

We gotta admit that despite the increase of oil’s price and sharp inflation, our income has been increasing as well. Computers are much affordable compared to previous years, people also started to respect proprietary softwares.

Logically, piracy is one method to popularize software. Back then in 1990s, Microsoft was calm about piracy. But why now they are so aggressively promoting to force us using legal software? Because Microsoft aware, back then Indonesia’s living standard is still far from purchasing their software, but now is different. The police now is Microsoft’s watchdogs, penalize these who using pirated softwares.

Microsoft shaped Indonesian’s software culture by letting the piracy spread, so when time comes, they could force people here to buy the legal version.

Piracy: to Buy or To Change

Now, what’s the backlash of the practice of the piracy? Dependency, naturally.

We grow with only knowing one operating system: Windows, let alone other. This condition leads us to a condition that we can’t live without Windows. We enjoy using Windows too much that we don’t want to consider alternative.

Why people not start using Linux if they could not afford legal Windows? Using software is culture, if you born using Windows, you would probably feeling intimidated when using non-Windows Operating system. It’s like forcing Asians to eat potato instead of rice.

But this is important question, are you willing to change or just keep being dependant to Microsoft? There is an alternative, the open source. This condition not only happens in Indonesia, but in the whole world. Who said if piracy is bad for Microsoft? Microsoft could preserve their monopoly in OS market because the piracy, and indirectly, preserve United States’ software hegemony for free.

Change Your Software, Change Your Culture

Ubuntu is one of the most popular Linux distros out there, developed by Canonical inc. a South Africa-based company. It has philosophy “Linux for human being”, I have been itched to use it for quite time since from what I read, it’s good, a stable operating system, and the best of all: it’s free.

It takes time to change, but I’m sure we should started it little by little. My first experience using Open Source Software was two year ago, when I started using OpenOffice and using FireFox.

Believe it or not, but my novel, Juxtaposition was written entirely using OpenOffice. Microsoft Office is office standard, though it’s terribly overpriced. Most people here also using the pirated version, why not using the free OpenOffice? Again, it’s culture, an intellectual hegemony.

I see no reason why Windows users should be afraid to use Ubuntu, or Open Source Softwares. There is always first-timer.

For starter, I made my laptop dual boot, so I could switch between XP and Ubuntu anytime. I admit that I’m still awkward using ubuntu, but I’m sure there will come time when I could using Linux as productively as I using Windows. You could try it yourself, order Ubuntu CD for you, for cost of $0.

Also for your information, Linux has the Windows Emulator, called Wine. This is one of the smartest program in the world that could encourage people start using Linux.

Basically, Wine makes Windows programs works in Linux environment. There are thousands programs tested already, many work flawlessly, some work with special tweak, but it’s still in development. I’m sure with the availability of Wine, people could start using Linux without worrying not able to use the software. Even Google, the internet giant supports the project!

Now dear readers, I ask you, are you using pirated Windows version? If so, why don’t you switch to legal, free software such as Ubuntu? Don’t you want to give chance for a change?

Popularity: 28% [?]