Comments on: The walled garden of Open Source http://boldlyopen.com/2007/03/16/the-walled-garden-of-open-source/ To boldly muse about Open Source Wed, 19 Nov 2008 12:32:04 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: Dalibor Topic http://boldlyopen.com/2007/03/16/the-walled-garden-of-open-source/#comment-39227 Dalibor Topic Mon, 19 Mar 2007 10:38:08 +0000 http://www.rabellino.it/blog/2007/03/16/the-walled-garden-of-open-source/#comment-39227 Different horses for different courses. For the sort of products where organizations building them perceive proprietary competition based on their own code to be undesirable, the GPL is a great way to make that hard. For the sort of products where adoption in proprietary competition is desirable, more permissive legal terms are more effective (hence LGPL, GPL+linking exception, MIT, Apache, ...). As long as proprietary software vendors exist, both approaches will have their uses, both in providing a 'conversion path' to becoming free software vendors, and in providing platforms to compete with them. Different horses for different courses.

For the sort of products where organizations building them perceive proprietary competition based on their own code to be undesirable, the GPL is a great way to make that hard. For the sort of products where adoption in proprietary competition is desirable, more permissive legal terms are more effective (hence LGPL, GPL+linking exception, MIT, Apache, …).

As long as proprietary software vendors exist, both approaches will have their uses, both in providing a ‘conversion path’ to becoming free software vendors, and in providing platforms to compete with them.

]]> By: Gianugo http://boldlyopen.com/2007/03/16/the-walled-garden-of-open-source/#comment-37108 Gianugo Fri, 16 Mar 2007 23:17:14 +0000 http://www.rabellino.it/blog/2007/03/16/the-walled-garden-of-open-source/#comment-37108 Matt, I agree there is a lot of room under the sun for everyone to cooperate, and I do agree that the current definition of Open Source allows for various business models around it. And actually, the point it's not really about GPL or no GPL, my point is about walled gardens vs. software commons. Which both might relate to carrot farming, by the way. :-) As per your speaker layout, that's definitely most impressive. and I will definitely miss not being able to attend OSBC (again). I wish you all the best, and will be looking for podcasts and video recordings!. Matt, I agree there is a lot of room under the sun for everyone to cooperate, and I do agree that the current definition of Open Source allows for various business models around it. And actually, the point it’s not really about GPL or no GPL, my point is about walled gardens vs. software commons. Which both might relate to carrot farming, by the way. :-)

As per your speaker layout, that’s definitely most impressive. and I will definitely miss not being able to attend OSBC (again). I wish you all the best, and will be looking for podcasts and video recordings!.

]]> By: Matt Asay http://boldlyopen.com/2007/03/16/the-walled-garden-of-open-source/#comment-37102 Matt Asay Fri, 16 Mar 2007 23:06:33 +0000 http://www.rabellino.it/blog/2007/03/16/the-walled-garden-of-open-source/#comment-37102 I think it's fine to have different views of how best to do open source projects and open source businesses. I, as you know, fall into the GPL camp. Both because I want to ensure freedom and profits for my company (though I'd take freedom before profits, if it came to that, and would become a carrot farmer, like you :-). But I respect the BSD/Apache camp, and I think there's room for both, and certainly room to build businesses with both. So take Eben's keynote as just one of several, each of which offers a different perspective on the market. I think you'd find that Rob Curley's will warm your heart, even if Eben's chills it. I think it’s fine to have different views of how best to do open source projects and open source businesses. I, as you know, fall into the GPL camp. Both because I want to ensure freedom and profits for my company (though I’d take freedom before profits, if it came to that, and would become a carrot farmer, like you :-).

But I respect the BSD/Apache camp, and I think there’s room for both, and certainly room to build businesses with both. So take Eben’s keynote as just one of several, each of which offers a different perspective on the market. I think you’d find that Rob Curley’s will warm your heart, even if Eben’s chills it.

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