As a 7th semester student in Seneca’s Bachelor of Software Development program, I’ve long considered starting up a blog for documenting and generally sharing the projects I am currently involved with. Though fitting for a software student with reluctance to buy a laptop, this web developer has also been slow to make the leap into web 2.0. It’s amazing how a class, in this case DPS909, can change things about you.
Like my aforementioned old-fashioned ways, I’ve long wondered how large projects (and even business models) can grow and thrive while remaining so disconnected and independent. Reading Eric Raymond’s paper The Cathedral and the Bazaar actually showed me that open source is neither. Following the story of fetchmail, it demonstrated how each project is disconnected only geographically, with the internet serving to connect all contributors and bring their independent selves to work together.
Another thought of mine which is slowly being changed is how businesses work. How could Mozilla possibly turn a profit when it gives away products like Firefox for free? Many websites which don’t sell a product can turn a profit by advertising, but Firefox uses none. A recent article in the NY Times showed me how, through a “community development model” and partnerships with companies like Google. The film Revolution OS brought together both of the above for me by telling the story of the genesis of the Free Software Foundation, Linux and the first commercial enterprises.
Having watched studied these, I feel I have a much deeper understanding of Open Source philosophy and its affect on development, distribution, and rights, not to mention the business inherent in today’s world.
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