OFFTOPIC: Open source is fun - USM Bish

From: Frederick Noronha (FN) (fred_at_bytesforall.org)
Date: 03/04/04

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            Dr Uday Shankar Mahalanobish, better known as
            Dr Bish, is a doctor by profession and qualification,
            and a programmer by passion. Perhaps not as celebrated
            as many of the other Open Source and Linux gurus in
            India, primarily because Dr Bish prefers to keep a
            low profile. Dr Bish has been an Open Source
            developmer for well over a decade. He is currently
            working on a health records system, written
            completely in Open Source. Developer IQ
            http://www.developeriq.com had a brief chat with
            him and here are the excerpts:

    Do you really think you can make money out of Open Source?

    Yes. I am meeting my ends by doing just that. I work as a programmer, and
    most of my work is done only on Open Source technologies.

    There is no difference between Open Source and Closed Source when it comes
    to services. You ought to get paid if you have put in your effort. The
    difference is that the customer saves money on the software, which he
    needs to invest in while buying commercial software.

    However a consultant will charge him for installing and configuring a mail
    server on Microsoft platform, and so will an Open Source specialist do for
    configuring SendMail. The money you save on initial investment on software
    can be deployed to hire better people or for other work which is the key
    to your business.

    What are the projects you are working on?

    Currently we are developing a web-based health-care records system, which
    can store patient records. We should be ready with the product in a few
    months and then can demonstrate to the world what India can do with Open
    Source. It is quite exciting.

    What are the specific advantages, which are there in Open Source?

    Open Source is exciting and fun. And you do not have to worry about the
    worms and other menace associated with the other world.

    It is more secure and less buggy as so many people can see the code and if
    any problem is encoutered, they can be removed. And above all, it is free,
    not just in terms of price, but in terms of choice and availiability.

    What about support?

    That is the best thing about Open Source. Everyday I face a new problem,
    and I just post it on to the user lists, and the next day someone will be
    there with a solution for you. What better support can you get?

    THIS INTERVIEW was carried as part of a cover story on 'How to make money
    using Open Source' carried in the March 2004 issue of the Indian magazine
    DeveloperIQ. Dr Bish runs the LOST (GNU/Linux One Stanza Tips) mailing
    list and can be contacted via email at USM Bish <bish at nde.vsnl.net.in>

    -- 
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