It has been long debated why there is not much new, exciting software for open source platforms like Linux, especially office tools and user toys. An article precisely about this in OSWeekly made it to Slashdot creating all kind of technical and ideological discussions. It’s really interesting how technology concentrated geeks just plainly miss the most important point which is money.

Open source model is great, but everyone has to eat and most want much more than that. So the real point is not closed or open source, but the fact that if you have a new, exciting and possibly revolutionary technical idea then there is huge monetary incentive to sell it. That’s why even most Slashdot geeks would form a startup and queue for VC injection the day they invent The Next Big Thing.

That is not to say that open source developers and community are not an important part of technology landscape or even modern society as a whole. I would even say that their existence is an indicator of society’s health in the area of technology, IT etc. However, open source has its place in the “technological food chain” and it is clearly not bringing breakthroughs. It’s rather perfecting the known and making it ubiquitously available to everyone.