From sand to silicon chips, openly

[Zenaan Harkness]

On Fri, May 18, 2018 at 03:15:16AM -0400, grarpamp wrote:
> > Where's the profit motive to develop things that can be sold on basis of value when the IP value is destroyed using an open architecture model?
> >
> > It's a lot of work to develop a CPU design and it costs a lot of money (well north of $50M). Who pays for that when the value is destroyed by opening up the design so anyone can copy it?
> >
> > Seems very naïve relative to how the semiconductor investment cycle works.

There is at least some food for thought in comparison to the GNU
project and the Linux kernel.

20 years ago it was of course “why would programmers give away their
"intellectual property"?” which many at the time found a genuinely
perplexing question - unfathomable if you will.

Today, that story has just slightly/subtly, changed - Linux
Everywhere and free/ libre/ open source software is basically a
pre-requisite for any new venture or project.

But why?

 - Why, as a programmer, would you give up your sovereignty/ right to
   make use of your own work in the future (either with another
   company, or in your own projects)?

 - Why would a company not take advantage of the $billions worth of
   free software "off the shelf" (and why would you spend millions
   reinventing all that NIH stuff)?

 - Why would you risk a proprietary startup when you know that the
   first guy to launch a FLOSS equivalent will in relatively short
   order (if you project/product is successful) overtake you in
   technical capability, on a relentless march?

 - If Microsoft couldn't successfully hold out against the FLOSS
   tide, what makes you think your puny thing will be able to?

… and many similar besides.

Create your world,