[ Thanks to Bruce
Byfield for this link. ]
“That roar you hear in the distance is the Open Source
bandwagon coming your way. John Patrick, Vice President of Internet
Technologies at IBM, considers Linux–a single Open Source
technology–as revolutionary as the personal computer and the
Internet. Add BSD, the Apache web server, and most of the
tools that run the Internet, and Open Source looks as if it could
be part of many writers’ futures.”
“The idea behind Open Source is simple: everyone should have the
freedom to copy, distribute, and change source code. The
implications, however, overturn the conventional high-tech business
model. When software is no longer intellectual property, everything
changes. Development is quicker because more people are involved.
Bugs are caught more quickly. Instead of being passive consumers,
customers can become partners in development. Instead of selling
software, companies sell hardware, services, or added value.
Internally, companies become more interactive and more loosely
structured.”
“If Open Source continues to gather speed, high-tech workers
will discover that it is not just a development model, but also a
new model for corporate life. For writers, the approach of Open
Source could be especially important. How documentation is viewed
and used, how writers interact with developers, and what tools are
used–all of these and more could be affected by the Open Source
movement.”