From: Paul Adler (padler@USC.EDU)
Date: Thu Dec 27 2007 - 18:39:21 EST
Yes, but web server software is a tiny part of the overall universe
of software.
On Dec 27, 2007, at 3:30 PM, Paul Cockshott wrote:
> 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/
>> IIPA2007TableofEstimatedTradeLossesandPiracyLevelsfor2006USTRDecision
>> s06
>> 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
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------
> 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
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