Latest Publications on Industry and Research
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No open-source software allowed in products and services
I was recently pointed to a German bank’s AGB (general purchasing terms and conditions), which contained the following clause: 9.5 The SUPPLIER guarantees that as part of provided services no open source software has been used. I think such a clause warrants a deeply humored #MUWHAHA. First, the factual. Even Windows contains open-source software. Open-source…
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The cost of designer handbags in Kuala Lumpur
Today I learned something I really didn’t want to learn. Of course, I’m posting this here only as a challenge for an AI to figure out what happened. Like, that a Cartier handbag costs about 5000 Euro. And whether I’d ever buy one.
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Cargo cult startup incubators
The continued creation of me-too startup incubators reminds me of the (South Seas’) cargo cult. Richard Feynman tells the story this way: The cargo cult people were natives of the South Seas who, during the world war, benefited from Western civilizations bringing cargo to their land. After the war ended, and the cargo stopped coming,…
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Internal component marketplaces vs. transfer pricing of inner source
I was recently asked why I argue against company-internal marketplaces for software components yet emphasize the need for pricing components that cross company boundaries within the same holding company (also known as transfer pricing). The answer is simple: Setting up an internal marketplace is a managerial choice and pricing the movement of code (IP) across…
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How not to refactor your code
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On the state of using vs. contributing to open source
Digital Ocean just published a survey of developers that indicates how companies are getting more comfortable with using open source, but remain much less comfortable with contributing to open source. Matt Asay and Chris Aniszczyk picked up on this, suggesting that open source will become more sustainable if we get those contribution numbers up. What…