Is Google's Chrome OS a Threat to Free Software?

My linkhttp://www.openmediaboston.org/node/797

Is Google's Chrome OS a Threat to Free Software?

by Jesse Kirdahy-Scalia (Staff), Jul-17-09

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Google last week announced the existence of a project that will bring its own operating system to netbook computers in the second half of 2010. The Google Chrome OS, which appropriately shares a name with the company's infant web browser, will be optimized for cloud computing (running applications online, rather than from locally installed software). But while the Chrome OS itself will be open sourced later this year, web applications like Google Docs and Facebook sometimes don't even allow users ownership of their data, let alone the source code. Like Microsoft before it, Google has the strength to force industry-wide changes, and if it pushes users towards closed network services, we might all lose.

 

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Speaking at the LibrePlanet free open source software conference in Boston this past March, programmer and free software activist Mako Hill told the audience, "Increasingly, people are using software they don't have access to. They're using software they can't change and can't control. [...] This represents an important shift between users and their software." It's a shift in control over one's private data away from users and to service providers.

 

So although the switching away from Microsoft's proprietary Windows OS or Apple's OS X to the open source Google Chrome is a move towards free software, by compelling users to move their data and their computing off their own devices and software, and onto closed network services, the Chrome OS ultimately threatens to reduce users' computing freedom.

As we give up more and more of our freedoms for the sake of convenience I wonder how far potential abuse by Google could spread. Their company slogan is "Dont be evil." but that just makes me more suspect. About three months ago Democracy Now (a fantastic news site you should all know about) did a story on Google's steps to digitize over 7 million of books, which would leave them with a monopoly on access to this information.

Google Faces Antitrust Investigation for Agreement to Digitize Millions of Books Online

http://www.democracynow.org/2009/4/30/google_faces_antitrust_investigation_for_agreement

doesn't make any sense.

I don't see how having an open-source OS, or facilitating the availability of information previously trapped in physical, limited edition volumes is creating any sort of a monopoly.

what the bloody waffle does that waffle mean. Particularly the last paragraph in that quote.

good post from a google employee on /. today (specifically about google wave, but also about their long-term plan)...

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What you're not seeing is Google's strategic intent (I work for Google, but this stuff is public).

 

Google's goal is to commodify (reduce the marginal profit to zero) of everything that they don't make money on. The hardware is pretty much commodified already. Plenty of competitors and the profit margins are razor thin. Next levels are the OS and the applications. These are not yet commodified due to Microsoft's aggressively maintained monopoly. Contrary to common knowledge, Microsoft's real monopoly is in the Office file formats. From that, they've levered a monopoly into basic individual productivity applications and then (with Apple's cooperation) the operating system. They are also a serious player in second-generation collaboration tools (extensions to basic email).

 

In order to reduce Microsoft's war chest and eliminate their competitiveness, Google seeks to lower the profit margin on everything Microsoft currently produces at a profit (Windows and Office). So they produce a cheaper operating system, cheaper productivity applications, and cheaper collaboration tools (ideally free to the typical user). Google doesn't need to make money (though breaking even would be nice), Google just needs to apply pressure to Microsoft to cut their revenues/profits and the strategic goals are being met.

 

Writing apps that run on Windows? Doesn't help Google very much (though SketchUp and Picasa and a few other things are native apps).

Writing protocols that run on any machine? Helps Google a lot.

Writing web applications that use those protocols and run on any machine? Helps Google a lot.

 

Look at the bigger picture. Google is acting extremely rationally here.

 

As for whether Wave is innovative or not, I don't think you've tried it and are speaking without informing yourself. Wave is to email as email is to snail mail (single addressee, no broadcast, etc.). Wave tackles the problem of a widely CC:'d email with an attached Word or Excel document (two threads of changes: one in the email thread, one in the document) (multiple obsolete copies of the document available) (possible confusion and delay as people are added to the thread and have to re-read the history duplicated in most of the recent emails). Wave creates a "place" for this discussion/collaborative authoring to happen and then let's everyone bring whatever they want to help out. Wave is not email++ (which is what Outlook and Gmail are).

Proprietary software is usually better quality than free software, anyway.

jesus christ. i fucking hate these things. if you are scared of a computer then don't fucking use one. humanity survived without computers or without the internet. who the fuck cares. It's not like Google Chrome is mandatory for every computer user. If you sign up for it and install it, you should know what you're getting yourself into. That article is bunk.

^^^yup.

WAAAAAAAH MY PRIVACY IS BEING INVADED BY THIS FREE SOFTWARE WHICH I AM VOLUNTARILY USING OF MY OWN VOLITION

no pleasing some people

Google chrome os is based on linux, not only that but who cares if they are using proprietary elements? The more os's available, the more choice consumers have and the resulting competition will drive all companies involved to innovate.