“The Unix wars of the last decade pretty well blew the word
“open” into uselessness, but I’m still intrigued by the way it has
been turned upside down yet again in one sad little corner of the
computing world.”
“I’m referring to the Microsoft Open License Program. Of course,
Microsoft isn’t alone in the misappropriation: Adobe calls it Open
Options; Computer Associates and others also have “Open Licensing”
programs.”
“So what is an “open license”? The term apparently evolved from
what most folks refer to as volume purchasing: buying software
licenses in bulk without the extra boxes and CD-ROMs. With an open
license, instead of all that packaging, all you need to keep track
of are license numbers or unlocking keycodes – and those can even
be delivered by e-mail.”
“Is it environmentally friendly? Sure. Is it cost-effective? Not
as much as it should be.”
“Is it open? Heck, no.”