Free Software is not a Threat to the IT Industry

Many opponents of free software are either employees of a proprietary software company or otherwise concerned that somehow the free software movement will negatively affect the industry. In reality however, the only people who should fear free software are the proponents of proprietary software bent on maintaining control over the customer. It is true that if free software were to take hold, proprietary software companies would no longer be able to force people to buy new software. However, this doesn't mean that no one would buy software anymore. Free software is about freedom, not the price tag. Free software means that the owner of the software has the freedom to freely copy, distribute, and modify the software as he feels. However, if the owner of free software is not capable of making changes to his software as he desires, he is free to hire a programmer to make the changes for him. At the end of the day the programmer has still been paid, but the user of the software still has the freedom to copy, distribute, and modify his software.

Free software does not have the ability to cause catastrophic damage to the software industry. Proprietary software that spies on and restricts the freedoms of users will be eliminated, but such a change is for the better. More jobs will be created for programmers by companies who want specific changes made to their software. Such jobs are currently not available under the use of proprietary software. Now if a company decides it would be in its best interests to have a piece of software modified to better suit the companies needs, they cannot simply hire a programmer to make the changes. Under proprietary licenses, the company does not have the freedom to modify software that they own. And the programmer who could make the changes doesn't have a job.

IT is in the best interests of society to switch to free software. Free software will eliminate government and company enabled back doors that allow such corporations to easily spy on the user of the software. Free software will give everyone the freedom that the technological world so desperately needs. To put the icing on the cake, it will not negatively affect the programming industry. If anything, it could increase jobs in the sector. Examples of jobs already created because of free software can be found at http://www.fsf.org/resources/jobs/listing. I hope you all see the light.