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Re:Open-source and the demise of proprietary software (2018) by amelius on Tuesday December 24, 2019 @02:03PM (#21874171)
> Of course, if your business is selling operating systems, development tools, databases and other infrastructure stuff, then, yup, open source has eaten your business.

It seems like the rule is that open source is eating all-except-niche software.

Re:Open-source and the demise of proprietary software (2018) by robenkleene on Tuesday December 24, 2019 @03:01PM (#21874518)
So you’re saying everything except “operating systems, development tools, databases and other infrastructure stuff” is “niche software”? I’m not following, e.g., that would make Google and Facebook niche software?
Re:Open-source and the demise of proprietary software (2018) by nine_k on Tuesday December 24, 2019 @03:27PM (#21874678)
They are extremely niche in a sense. There are very few other search engines (all much smaller), and there's no another Facebook.

The market just naturally gravitates to the biggest player.

Re:Open-source and the demise of proprietary software (2018) by robenkleene on Tuesday December 24, 2019 @03:44PM (#21874776)
What's the definition of niche being used here? I'd define it as software that's only relevant to a small percentage of the population (i.e., that obviously wouldn't include Facebook and Google).
Re:Open-source and the demise of proprietary software (2018) by whelsemin on Wednesday December 25, 2019 @03:11AM (#21877541)
"extremely focused?"
Re:Open-source and the demise of proprietary software (2018) by wizzwizz4 on Tuesday December 24, 2019 @04:22PM (#21875000)
It does include Facebook and Google, because Facebook and Google do not make up a large proportion of the population.
Re:Open-source and the demise of proprietary software (2018) by whatsmyusername on Tuesday December 24, 2019 @03:39PM (#21874753)
It forces you to make products instead of tools. Putting tools behind a paywall is wack.
Re:Open-source and the demise of proprietary software (2018) by amelius on Tuesday December 24, 2019 @05:47PM (#21875463)
Most software can be classified as a tool, except e.g. games.
Re:Open-source and the demise of proprietary software (2018) by ClumsyPilot on Wednesday December 25, 2019 @08:43AM (#21878454)
I think he means tools for making software not business tools