[TriLUG] Can open source solutions be viable companies?

[Tarus Balog]

Tanner Lovelace said:

> On Fri, 2002-06-28 at 14:32, Vestal, Roy L. wrote:
>> The "catch"
>> is the old fight we all have to fight: "Open source is not as secure
>> as closed source becaus everyone has it". Same Argument Different Day
>> (SADD).
>
> Roy, this isn't to you because I believe you know better, but that
> argument is pure horseshit.  In fact, I will contend that open source
> software can be more secure precisely because everyone has it.

I just finished Levy's Crypto book, and the same argument was made against
public key cryptography in the beginning - "What?!? You're going to reveal
the underlying mechanism?". Now what has happened - public key crypto is
everywhere. We don't have to worry about any back doors because it has
been tested and tested again.

Now, once someone figures out a rapid way to factor large numbers ...

-T

-- 
Tarus Balog
Consultant
Sortova Consulting Group, http://www.sortova.com
+1-919-696-7625
tarus at sortova.com