Comments on: Buzzmachine goes clunk: When media companies do tech http://niksilver.com/2008/07/12/buzzmachine-goes-clunk-when-media-companies-do-tech/ Mostly about the management of software development Thu, 04 Dec 2008 19:08:24 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Nik http://niksilver.com/2008/07/12/buzzmachine-goes-clunk-when-media-companies-do-tech/#comment-33908 Nik Sat, 12 Jul 2008 20:15:53 +0000 http://niksilver.com/?p=101#comment-33908 Now most of that is something I agree with: you have indeed got to have a damned good reason to build. But as far as I can see your original position didn't say that, it said building is always wrong. And you also stray down a new (but very interesting) path here... The network of news might perhaps be better off if we open-sourced everything, but I'm not sure how interested, say, the Guardian is in enabling the success of Fox News, or vice versa. Unfortunately I suspect the interests of news consumers are not the same as the interests of news producers. That's not a criticism of Guardian or Fox, although it could be used as a criticism of a capitalism. Now most of that is something I agree with: you have indeed got to have a damned good reason to build. But as far as I can see your original position didn’t say that, it said building is always wrong.

And you also stray down a new (but very interesting) path here… The network of news might perhaps be better off if we open-sourced everything, but I’m not sure how interested, say, the Guardian is in enabling the success of Fox News, or vice versa. Unfortunately I suspect the interests of news consumers are not the same as the interests of news producers. That’s not a criticism of Guardian or Fox, although it could be used as a criticism of a capitalism.

]]> By: Jeff Jarvis http://niksilver.com/2008/07/12/buzzmachine-goes-clunk-when-media-companies-do-tech/#comment-33907 Jeff Jarvis Sat, 12 Jul 2008 19:29:46 +0000 http://niksilver.com/?p=101#comment-33907 When you have a damned good reason to create technology no one has yet created, then good. Crunch those school numbers. But... The network of news would be better off if we all open-sourced that, eh? That technology is not going to be what distinguishes you, eh? (Wow, have to go to the Guardian, they crunch numbers like nobody.) No, it's substance that will win (I hope). And so as far as I'm concerned, every buy-v-build decision should start with the question: borrow? Is there something open I can use or pluggable I can license (e.g., Pluck)? When you have a damned good reason to create technology no one has yet created, then good. Crunch those school numbers.

But…

The network of news would be better off if we all open-sourced that, eh? That technology is not going to be what distinguishes you, eh? (Wow, have to go to the Guardian, they crunch numbers like nobody.) No, it’s substance that will win (I hope).

And so as far as I’m concerned, every buy-v-build decision should start with the question: borrow? Is there something open I can use or pluggable I can license (e.g., Pluck)?

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