[plug] [link] [OT] Open Source genetics

[tcleary2 at csc.com.au]

James,

You said:
>From my limited understanding of these things, I'd like to point out
>that there are many ways in which the (essential) success of science
>doesn't work in the same way as software. For a start, producing
>scientific tools is slightly more involved than writing 'interface-
>compatible' clean-room implementations of everyone's favourite UNIX
>tools. And people can't be hobbyists in biotechnology in the way that
>people can be hobbyists in computer programming. Also, you know how free
>software can be misused -- need I talk about how biotechnology can be
>misused -- don't forget the need for control over "standards of quality"
>and "standards of practice" (which are generally considered "optional"
>with software).

Milstein et al. ( you mentioned PCR ) as well as other Genticists had to 
come up with their tools "by hand".

The "recipes" are freely available, but people don't do that "as a hobby" 
because the foundations have not been put in place by the altruists among 
us, as well as the fact that it's often illegal ( but not impossible )

The reason people don't do it that way is that the process scales up, 
freeing you to do more productive work than generate restriction enzymes 
etc. ( Hey, you don't make your own bricks when you build a house, right? 
;-)

You then buy your standard reagents from a supplier.

If your supplier wants excessive royalties on all derived work, you have a 
problem - because they're riding on your shoulder for everything you do.

The GPL works in a similar fashion, but ( fortunately for us ) is not 
backed up by people trying to "maximise profits".

History tells us however, that even when "patent owners" want payback for 
BETTER Technology it becomes too limiting and dies off. ( Token Ring, 
anyone? )

In this way, recombinant "hobbyism" does share a lot with OSS/Free 
Software.

Regards,

tom.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The only reason acceptable compromises occur in IT based activities is 
because a Human did some lateral thinking: Computers don't negotiate.
__________________________________________________
Security Consultant/Analyst
CSC
Ph: +61 8 9429 6478    Email: tcleary2 at csc.com.au
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