Re: General advice beyond Org

["Peter Neilson" <neilson@windstream.net>]

On Thu, 17 May 2018 20:28:22 -0400, <edgar@openmail.cc> wrote:

> Hello,
>
> _I_ need help. I am in graduate school, and I keep having issues with my  
> advisor for my strong inclination to use free software. I am obviously  
> not in position to refuse, but she dislikes to have discussions about  
> it. She pays a stipend to me every month, and my tuition is waved.
>
> Is anyone here aware of a place where they do computational human  
> biomechanics, mechanics, materials or finite elements where I could  
> interact with free software? (having github, LaTeX, Python, etc.; avoid  
> Micro$oft products, Matlab, Mathematica, etc.). Is there no place where  
> one can simply use free software on a daily basis?
>
> It seems from her comments that I am, otherwise, a good researcher. She  
> is a nice person, but I fear that this may become an issue in the future  
> for me (whether with her or other people).
>
> As a student or junior faculty, how do you go about this? Do you just  
> nod and wave your freedom good bye?
>
> Thank you! (I will post this in other fora as well; don't let that to  
> discourage you from answering, please).

What is your field? In some areas of research the foremost software tools  
have been developed on a MS platform and there is no escape unless you go  
and develop your own tools.

Allow me to illustrate from a non-software perspective, in two different  
directions. I happen to own a substantial number of horses, and thus find  
myself employing the services of a farrier. That's the person who trims  
the hooves and fits shoes. My previous farrier, now retired, made some of  
his own tools and avoided using the top, well-known brand, GE. (It's GE  
Forge & Tools, NOT General Electric!) "Too expensive," he said. "Not worth  
all that extra money." My current farrier works three times as fast as the  
other guy, and uses nothing but GE tools. Clearly, he can fit in perhaps  
twice the number of customers a day, and the tools pay for themselves. He  
could make his own, as can anyone who owns a forge, an anvil, and hammers,  
but why bother? He makes perhaps $300 an hour when working on horses, and  
nearly nothing when trying to build tools.

I also get questions from young folks between the ages of 8 and 16 who  
love horses, and want a career working with horses. They hope for a job  
where they will clean stalls and exercise horses, and maybe help with  
training. My suggestion to them is to find a profession such as accounting  
or medicine where they will be able to make enough money to own several  
horses. After a day cleaning stalls and brushing horses at minimum wage or  
less, who wants to saddle up Yet Another Horse and go riding? The  
accountant who can fathom the intricacies of expenses for a Thoroughbred  
race stable will be well rewarded, and may even get invited to ride.

These words are rather far afield from your actual question, but I think  
you do need to reflect carefully on where your interests actually lie.

So back to free software itself. Read, if you have not already done so,  
this article by rms:  
https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/open-source-misses-the-point.en.html . Then  
ponder whether you want your career to follow his delightfully weird  
footsteps, or whether your field requires a totally different approach.  
I'm sure that rms would disagree with me--he has every time I've spoken  
with him--but his is not the only philosophy available.