Is Open source really worth it at last 13595

That wasn't primarily what I was saying. The source code 'documents' things that almost no commercial documentation covers, such as the specific algorithm used (which affects how you use the functions; something that uses a linked list might not be appropriate for cases that would be better handled by a hash table), the way in which input is processed and validated, the specific situations where various error codes are returned, and what functions are used internally (which helps even further in modeling how the function will behave).

Even when commercial documentation is high-quality, it rarely covers the kinds of things I listed above. Having the source does not merely compensate for poor documentation, it usually significantly exceeds the usefullness of even excellent documentation. There is a very good reason why companies do pay money to license source code from other companies (e.g. the game industry, where licensing game engine source code is the norm).

My experience (and, again, that of game programmers among many others) is quite at variance with yours. Microsoft certainly felt it important to get the source code of the BSD stack (they didn't just download it, they actually bought it from a company - go look it up) and the source to Spyglbutt' version of Mosaic.

Licensing source code is not the norm in the commercial world, because it tends to be expensive. That expense is one clue, however, as to how valuable programmers consider having the source code to be.

You said: "Also using an interface might not need such a send programmer, so it is less expensive for the company". Since using an open-source interface and a closed-source interface is exactly the same effort, there is absolutely no differentiation here unless you buttume that the open-source one is poorly documented. If this is not what you meant, please clarify.

You also said: "while the send programmer could do something more creative than repairing other's mistakes." This is only necessary when there is, in fact, a bug in the source requiring a fix. This does happen but is far from the norm. It does *not* happen more often with open-source code, so that's not a differentiator. But when it does happen, it can be fixed *much* faster than with closed source.

I can't find the post you cite. The "Message ID" field in a post is a unique identifier, please specify it. The closest thing I could find is this one:

Is this what you're referring to?

-- Sincerely,

Ray Ingles (313) 227-2317

"The computing industry is given 12 months to deploy a technology that does not exist and whose sole purpose is to protect profits. The car industry was allowed decades to deploy safety features such as seat belts and air bags that were designed to save lives." - Zeinfeld, on the SSSCA, a proposed law that would mandate all computers to prevent any file copying whatsoever unless explicitly approved by the entertainment conglomerates