FOSS Knowledge, Part 1: Where Are We Now?

At the Linux Foundation Collaboration Summit in San Francisco in mid-April, I gave a talk titled, “FOSS Knowledge: A little does NOT always go a long way.” The title was supposed to be a bit eye-catching; the subject-matter, hopefully thought-provoking. I’ve attended my share of open source software-related events and often the topics covered in the legal or business tracks relate to trends, information, tools, and best practices for the use of open source software, particularly in regards to license compliance – basically what one needs to do. But I’m finding that it is ever-more critical to look at knowledge: the understanding, awareness, and education around open source software and licenses.