After 10 Years: What is Open Source?

[ Thanks to Danijel Orsolic for this link. ]

"In our earlier article, 'Facts and Friction on Open Source and Free Software' we have explained where 'Open Source' is coming from and what is its relation to Free Software and the Free Software Foundation that represents it. One of the points made was that the term Open Source deliberately de-emphasized a certain aspect of what defines Free Software as originally specified by the FSF in order to make Free Software, albeit under the new term, better appeal to the business world.

"A lot of the criticism to the new term came, obviously, from the Free Software Foundation and the movement that aligns with it, as they believed (and continue to believe) it is wrong to hide one of the most important things that make Free Software what it is, the freedom that goes with it and which is the sole reason for which the Free Software movement started. They also say that the term, despite there being an Open Source Definition, would in minds of many simply mean the availability of the source code and not much more than that..."

Complete Story

Related Stories:

• ZDNet UK: Is StillSecure Open Source?(Apr 05, 2007)
• LinuxWorld Australia: Are You an Open Source User or Joiner?(Mar 13, 2007)
• Once More Unto the Breach: Debating Open Source Software Definitions(Mar 08, 2007)
• ConsortiumInfo: Standards and Disruptive Technologies(Jan 05, 2007)