[Upd-discuss] number of users of free software

[Adam Moran]

Hi,

Sun, 25 Jun 2006 Mashilamani Sambasivam wrote:

>> For example, let us say that 'a' users use OS 'o'. Let
>> us say 'b' users use another popular language 'l' in
>> OS 'o'. Let us say another 'c' users use the end
>> applications produced by the language 'l'. Then the
>> net worth of the OS 'o' is not directly proportional
>> to 'a' but is directly proportional to
>> 'a+b+c-(aINb)-(bINc)-(aINc)-(aINbINc)', where
>> IN stands for intersection of the sets, where 
>> c is a big multiple of b.

Can't think of a when I've had much by the way of a set theory, but 
shouldn't this bit read:

      a+b+c-(aINb)-(bINc)-(aINc)+2(aINbINc)

-- Adam


Sun, 25 Jun 2006 Mashilamani Sambasivam wrote:



> I read the following in a harvard review article
> (I dont remember the author) I 
> happened by chance to read:
> 
> Basically its analysis said that microsoft
> wins over many users not because it
> has a great OS, but because so many people 
> made programs that became dependent on the 
> OS microsoft wrote.
> 
> It said that 'making s/w that other people 
> use to make other s/w is one of the biggest 
> way of promoting an OS'.
> 
> For example, let us say that 'a' users use OS 'o'. Let
> us say 'b' users use another popular language 'l' in
> OS 'o'. Let us say another 'c' users use the end
> applications produced by the language 'l'. Then the
> net worth of the OS 'o' is not directly proportional
> to 'a' but is directly proportional to
> 'a+b+c-(aINb)-(bINc)-(aINc)-(aINbINc)', where
> IN stands for intersection of the sets, where 
> c is a big multiple of b.
> 
> That is, if you make one 'software that makes
> other software' the use of your OS multiplies
> exponentially. For example, let us say one
> OS suddenly provides support to run java applications,
> the users of the OS multiplies exponentially 
> cos it adds not only java users but also all 
> the users who want to use the end applications
> made of java.
> 
> MAIN POINT: 'Making software that helps make
> other software (like gcc, mono, java)' multiplies
> exponentially the user base. That is one the
> primary ways microsoft has been winning (eg: word,
> powerpoint, excel etc).
> 

-- 
Adam Moran
http://www.webarchitects.co.uk/
Bridging the Digital Divide