| WebSeitz/wikilog |
| Open Source |
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| last edited by BillSeitz on Jun 3, 2008 1:16 am |
One of the many possible Software Licenses.
Not the same as Free Software. The Open Source Initiative is a marketing program for free software. It's a pitch for "free software" on solid pragmatic grounds rather than ideological tub-thumping. The winning substance has not changed, the losing attitude and symbolism have.
They define what makes a software license open source and provide a list of compatible licenses. Eric Raymond provides an easier-to-read summary as part of his UNIX programming-culture book.
I wonder how much of the rise of Open Source was (a) the DotCom bubble making companies more comfortable with sharing/donating work on lower-level infrastructure, and then (b) ex-DotCom unemployed HackEr-s with time on their hands (continuing through the Jobless Recovery)? (counter: Geeks With Kids)
Pragmatic issues:
no Open Source license has ever been tested in the courts
At the moment I'm a little confused about how license restrictions apply when building a product on top of an Open Source chunk of code. Plat Form vs application? I asked about this for OSAF/Chandler.
requirements for releasing changes to code only seems to apply if you "distribute" the code. What if you use it for a WebApp?
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