“Is Open Source a libertarian fantasy or a revival of sixties
radicalism?”
“Anyone looking for evidence of Open Source software’s
transformation into a bona fide political movement need only review
the events of the past few days. The week began with a string of
protests at Microsoft offices around the country — organized by
Linux advocates — demanding refunds for the unwanted copies of
Windows 95 thrust upon them by Microsoft’s licensing deals with PC
manufacturers. On Thursday, the movement’s primary mouthpiece,
Slashdot.org, reported a rift between two leading members of the
revolutionary vanguard: Eric Raymond and Bruce Perens, resulting in
Perens’ departure from the Open Source Initiative. And on Sunday
morning, The New York Times Magazine featured a profile of Linus
Torvalds called “The Rebel Code,” that made the soft-spoken Linux
creator out to be a kind of digital age Tom Hayden.”