Explain why taxpayers pay out billions to Microsoft and get nothing in return, while Linux is free. In contrast, using tax dollars to pay for research and improvements to Linux, as well as free open source software in general, would benefit everyone. When taxpayers pay for roads everyone benefits because everyone can drive on them. This is not the case with proprietary software,such as Microsoft, because taxpayers cannot use the software that is paid for by tax dollars. However, it would benefit the taxpaying public if open source software, such as Linux, were used for everyday government computing. Any tax dollars spent on research for patches, upgrades, and improvements would be shared benefits for all Americans who can simply download and use Linux anytime for free.
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