why I fear open source can't win the war

[bob]

My inlaws purchased a new computer which came with XP preinstalled.  The shop 
also configured the Sympatico dialup Internet and Outlook email.   The whole 
system worked for a week or so.

Being the security conscious son-in-law,  I took it upon myself suggest a safe 
computing strategy:  OFT (OO, Firefox, Thunderbird).  Armed with my copy of 
The Open CD,  I was invited to install OFT (OO, Firefox, Thunderbird) on 
their box.

That is when everything stopped working.

The first problem was a "known" or at least an anticipated one.  Sympatico was 
in the process of "upgrading" all their customers to their new "hm" (Hot 
Mail) oursourced servers.  From my previous experience with OFT on my 
mother's computer, my brother's computer and local forums on the Net I knew 
that Thunderbird (and possibly Norton) + Sympatico hm simply do not work.   
(My mother had to switch providers,  my brother went back to Outlook).

The solution was to switch to the local Cambridge ISP: Sentex ... which was 
known to work with Thunderbird.

Of course when my inlaws call Sentex tech support to get the new dialup setup 
they give them the standard line "we only support Outlook email".   Nonsense 
I say,  Thunderbird will work.   After a quick visit,  sure enough 
Thunderbird is indeed sending and receiving email.

However,  now the dialup is cutting out after a few minutes online with 
Firefox.  Sentex tech support cannot pin the problem to anything in their 
logs.

In frustration my in-laws go back to the computer shop and have everything 
reinstalled.

Now Sentex dials correctly,  Outlook email works,  no timeouts on IE.   
However,  needless to say my "credibility" on the  subject of safe computing 
is significantly diminished. (Memo to self:  don't volunteer to sys admin for 
family).   That is until my in-laws encounter their first major worm,  virus 
and/or spyware infection ...

This tale bothers me on a number of fronts.

a) that a major national provider can hook up with a convicted monopolist to 
"ensure" that standard email software doesn't function

b) that some obscure "bug" may exist in the combination of OO, Firefox, 
Thunderbird,  The Open CD,  Windows XP home,  Norton that renders dialup 
"useless" ... and more importantly that the effort to sort this out will mean 
that it likely will remain a bug

c) that problems like a) and b) are what will ultimately prevent open source 
software from ever reaching the mainstream home user


bob
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