Years ago, during the advent of free and open-source software, most developers joined the movement purely for the fun of it. They wanted to make a difference in the world – build a free alternative to a paid package, and reduce the grip of large, profit-focused corporations on the software world. Out of these glorious sentiments came the GPL – hallmarked as the license to end all licenses – the stamp of approval from the open source community.
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After a long hiatus from open source productivity software, I am again giving OpenOffice a shot. My home laptop started with an old vanilla install of XP, and out of installation convenience, I have been using open source software as opposed to the usual higher-end commercial packages. Below are a few of my thoughts and suggestions for others undertaking the same experiment.
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In the previous series on database design principles, we discussed potential pitfalls in software development and ways to solve common database design mistakes. In the past week, while revamping an ASP.NET software application developed by another company, I have had the opportunity to see many of these rules come to life, and see their malpractice wreak havoc on the enhancements.
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