[ale] Any Input Would Be Appreciated!

[Matthew Magee]

Parker McGee wrote:

>I'm writing an essay for College English about open source development
>and users, and the motivations behind it.  If you could answer these
>questions, it would help me greatly!  The more people the better!
>Thanks!
>
>1) Why do you use open source software?  What makes it "better" than
>proprietary?  Can you think of any specific examples?
>  
>
Well, I can say as a fellow student that using open source software 
ensures that I do not encounter any arbitrary limitations in my 
education.   Nearly any (every?) task that is possible with current 
technology can be achieved with open source software.  The only limit is 
me.  This would be leaning more toward the free (libre) side of things.

When I was working as an auto mechanic, I would never refuse to teach my 
customers how to fix their own cars.  It may have cost me a few dollars 
here and there, but I know what it means to be self-reliant and I will 
not hold another man down.  I am grateful that people like Richard 
Stallman also share this view as it applies to computing technology.

So the answer is.... it gives me more control.