InfoWorld: If the Glass Slipper Fits

“After two years of writing this column, one theme in the
feedback I receive from readers stands out. Regardless of what I
write, I get at least a few e-mails saying, ‘You’re short-changing
open source.’ In my day-to-day IT reality, open source technologies
play a central role: infoworld.com runs Linux/Apache, I use MySQL
inside and outside of work for fun, and I keep up with less-hyped
but mature technologies such as FreeBSD and PostgresSQL. I’ve been
a Linux user since 1994. All that aside, what really interests me
about these e-mails is the notion that the open source community
continues to see itself as the Cinderella held back by an
assortment of wicked stepmothers, principally Microsoft. From my
vantage point, the opposite is true. Open source is the belle of
the ball. The open source pumpkin has changed into a carriage and
Cinderella is dancing with Prince Charming–but the night is still
young.

“The real issue for open source is adjusting from being
remarkable to being important. There’s a real distinction between
the two. Remember when cell phones were new? Your first call was
probably to a friend to say, ‘Hey, guess what! I’m on a cell
phone.’ If you called your friend today with the same message,
chances are your friend would ask, ‘Are you feeling OK…?'”

Complete
Story