Glengage – Glen Horton

As I mentioned in a previous post, there’s a lot of interest among Ohio libraries in open source software. In the southwest corner, I’ve been getting questions on open source ILS’s, content management systems, public computers (e.g. Edubuntu), and wireless hotspots. Recently, several library organizations got together at the State Library to discuss how we can all work together to support open source in libraries. LibLime, an open source library vendor, was also present. The outcome of this meeting has convinced me that it’s time to kill the kitten.

Over the past several years, people have used the phrase “free as in kitten” when describing the pros and cons of open source software. Like a kitten, you might pay nothing up front for the software. Over its life, however, you will invest time, knowledge, and maybe even money to maintain it. People use “free as in kitten” to imply that open source is more difficult to maintain and support than proprietary software. A few years ago, this was an accurate metaphor. Today, however, open source is often just as easy to maintain and there are many vendor options available to libraries. In fact, open source software gives libraries the choice to choose who will provide their support. Proprietary software vendors, on the other hand, often lock libraries into maintenance contracts. If the vendor decides to stop development or support on a product, the library is out of luck. Libraries in Ohio will soon be able to choose from many different library organizations, vendors, or in-house staff for support of their open source software.

So please stop using “free as in kitten” to describe open source software. Sure it may cost you something to maintain and support it, but the same is true of proprietary software. You can spend $500 up front on an AKC registered puppy, but you’ll still invest time and money over the life of the dog.

The kitten is dead. Let’s bury it.