If Your Car Was Open Source....

I get tired of people bashing products like Blackboard, in favor of open source products like Moodle. Not everyone is a big fan of open source software, and open source is not for every school district. So, with that in mind, I'll poke a little fun at open source and get my swings in. Don't take it too seriously-not that anyone would....

If your car was open source:

You would tell everyone it was free, but ignore the total cost of ownership.

When it needed fixing, you would rely on the generosity of others to help you fix it by self-diagnosing the problem through the use of various listservs and discussion boards.

You would have to paint it as it came very white and gray from the "dealership."

It might have 3, 4, or 5 wheels as the manufacturers argued about standards.

Your car would always be under construction and never really finished.Recalls, well, you're on your own....

Optional features may or may not work and might be unstable and make your car perform poorly, but, hey, at least they were "free."

Owners would support their cars with self-righteousness and with indignant and incredulous comments directed at those who have chosen a different direction for their transportation needs.

Your car's radio would be tuned to a talk show bashing Microsoft as you pulled into your driveway excited about firing up your Macintosh....

Sorry about the Mac thing.

Everyone's climate and culture are different.

Choices need to be made in concert with that. Make your decision based on your situation.

Be comfortable with the decision of others....

It's not about having a specific learning managment system (Blackboard vs. Moodle vs. something else) if that is important, it's about having one, should that be desired.