I've a degree in geography and skills in developing and using Geographic Information Systems. I'm self taught in some older technologies such as xBase and VB (up to version 6 / pre .Net) and Microsoft Access. My interest in computers and open source is both practical and philosophical.
Computers are likely the most flexible tools for managing information ever invented. I think back to the days before the Internet, Google and Wikipedia (to name a few) and I remember how so many arguments were won by the person who yelled the loudest and longest. Life is saner today but by no means perfect. While these new technologies ease the aggregation and communication of knowledge, they also bring about a new set of problems - information overload for example. Today it's easy to get sidetracked by:
- superfluous details (too much information)
- lies and half-truths (false information, misinformation)
- errors (incorrect information)
- obsolete information
I find myself constantly developing new techniques and learning skills in order to better navigate around these ever-present distractions. But would I go back to the way it was? No way. From poker to recipes to personal finance to finding the closest beer store that's still open, the Internet has greatly contributed to my knowledge and appreciation of the world. I like to use open source software (OSS) when I can because it generally does a better job helping me get my work done and almost always for a much lower cost. But as important a reason as this is greater freedom of choice. OSS file formats are better documented, letting me more easily migrate my data to another software tool should I need to. OSS gives me access to the source code, so many small changes can be made with my own resources. I may not be able to fix the code myself but I can hire someone to fix a bug or add a small feature and thus my problem gets solved. I have no such recourse with proprietary software. With OSS, no vendor is forcing me to "upgrade" to a new version with "features" that I don't need just so I get a security fix and the vendor can meet their quarterly sales quota. OSS isn't perfect, but I find it's constantly improving and I've never had cause to regret my choice to use it.
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