Java Reference
In-Depth Information
Most of us, however, will be asking how these technologies can put bread on
our table.
The key is lifelong learning. And that is where Open has a distinct advan-
tage. You want to know how it works? Look. There is a lot of good code (and
some very bad code) out there, free for the taking, analyzing, and for certain
uses. One of the arguments made for closed code is a quality argument. But as
programmers who have worked on closed systems, we can tell you that we have
seen plenty of bad code out that is closed and proprietary. You just have to look
at news about viruses and worms to know that. The point is that Open Source
and Free Software are a safer investment. In closed systems there is always
pressure to “churn” the APIs so that new OS versions and new development
tools can be sold. There is some of that in Free Software too, but you can watch
it as it happens, and if a program is your bread and butter, you can participate.
In any revolution, there are the brave and foolhardy rushing to the barri-
cades, banners in hand. But the sensible are keeping their heads down and try-
ing to figure out how to get through it all. We hope our modest contribution
helps the latter.
24.4
W
HAT
Y
OU
S
TILL
D
ON
'
T
K
NOW
This is a book about writing Java applications on Linux systems. We hope we've
given you enough to get started, and pointed you to some tools and techniques
that, while they've been around a while, may not all be well known or
documented.
We've said it before, but each of our chapters tried to cover in a small
space what really takes volumes. Our aim has been to give you a flavor, and a
start, and a direction.
24.5
R
ESOURCES
This topic that you are reading is part of the Bruce Perens' Open Source Series,
“a definitive series of Linux and Open Source books” according to the publisher
The Fate of the Commons in a Connected World
, and
Free Culture: How Big Media Uses Technology
and the Law to Lock Down Culture and Control Creativity
.
