From: Paul Cockshott (clyder@GN.APC.ORG)
Date: Thu Dec 27 2007 - 18:30:59 EST
It appears that the latest figures show that just over half of all web servers
are running the open source Apache software. This indicates that the greater
part of the internet is provided by open source software. Percentage held by
Apache was actually higher a couple of years ago.
Quoting Paul Adler <padler@USC.EDU>:
> A few thoughts on this topic:
> 1. we do have data on the proportion of computer-related equipment in
> total stock of machinery and equipment -- and it has grown
> enormously, reaching about half by 2006 (according to http://
> www.csls.ca/data/ICT-%20US%202006.pdf)
> (The empirical analysis gets complicated because it is so hard to
> get decent quality-adjustments to computer-equipment prices.)
> 2. The proportion of software that is legally free is, I'm guessing,
> very small. ("Open source" is a major force in only a few small
> segments of the industry.) However piracy is a big factor: at the low
> end, some 21% of operating system software is apparently pirated in
> the US, and at the high end, some 72% in India and 86% in China (I'm
> not sure how much credence to give the specific figures, but see
> http://www.iipa.com/pdf/
> IIPA2007TableofEstimatedTradeLossesandPiracyLevelsfor2006USTRDecisions06
> 0607.pdf)
> 3. The main idea, I think, is that the forces of production (most
> notably software, but other segments too) evolve in a direction
> ("socialization") that makes private property rights (a) increasingly
> difficult to enforce, and (b) increasingly wasteful from a social-
> welfare point of view (given the low or zero costs of reproduction
> and dissemination).
>
>
> On Dec 27, 2007, at 8:40 AM, Paul Cockshott wrote:
>
> > Quoting glevy@PRATT.EDU:
> > Perhaps I should have said 'significant' not major there. I will
> > try and get an
> > estimate for the first question. It is inherently hard to estimate
> > this since
> > free software will not be counted in any capital stock. And when
> > one asks what
> > percentage of software is free, what is ones unit of measurement?
> > Is it the amount of lines of code?
> > Is it the usage of the software?
> > Is it the number of distinct programs?
> >
> >>> 1. Free software is a major part of the means of production.
> >>
> >> Hi Paul:
> >>
> >> Major or minor but growing?
> >>
> >> * What percentage of the total means
> >> of production would you
> >> estimate software
> >> as a whole to be?
> >>
> >> * What percentage
> >> of the total amount
> >> of software is free?
> >>
> >> In
> >> solidarity, Jerry
> >>
> >
> >
> > Paul Cockshott
> >
> > www.dcs.gla.ac.uk/~wpc
> > reality.gn.apc.org
> >
> > ----------------------------------------------------------------
> > This message was sent using IMP, the Internet Messaging Program.
>
>
> * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
> Paul S. Adler,
> Prof. of Management and Organization
> University of Southern California,
> Los Angeles, CA
> Tel: 818.981.0115
>
>
>
>
>
Paul Cockshott
www.dcs.gla.ac.uk/~wpc
reality.gn.apc.org
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