Being open about "open" (source)
I’m not sure why it bothers me: I use the word “Free” when I’m talking about “Free Software”, and “Open” when I mean “Open source”. I’m very particular about my words, that way. But that’s just me. I don’t expect another religion to follow the rules of my own, or vice-versa. So why do I expect others to use words in the same way that I do? And why do I feel so cross about “Open standards”, which come with proprietary documentation, a hefty price tag, and an NDA?
Perhaps part of the reason is focus. The fore-fathers of our movement used the word “Open” with a set of very specific meanings; free redistribution, no discrimination, unrestrictive, and so on. See OSD. But the Open Source Initiative didn’t invent the word “Open” — they simply re-appropriated it. They brought it into the field of computing, and redefined its meaning to suit their needs. I’ve spent so long believing in the OSI’s handling of the word, that when someone else takes it and re-appropriates it for their needs, I get annoyed at their blinkered attitude. Especially when they are also involved in technology. But programmers are guilty of this approach, too. They might use the word ‘object’ to mean simply storage, while C programmers might use it to reference data, as C++ programmers use it to mean code and/or data. And so on. This is an equivalent situation, but it doesn’t bother me and I’m not sure why! I guess it’s my problem.
- Login or register to post comments
- Printer-friendly version
- 1069 reads
- PDF version
More in Tux Machines
- Highlights
- Front Page
- Latest Headlines
- Archive
- Recent comments
- All-Time Popular Stories
- Hot Topics
- New Members
digiKam 7.7.0 is releasedAfter three months of active maintenance and another bug triage, the digiKam team is proud to present version 7.7.0 of its open source digital photo manager. See below the list of most important features coming with this release. |
Dilution and Misuse of the "Linux" Brand
|
Samsung, Red Hat to Work on Linux Drivers for Future TechThe metaverse is expected to uproot system design as we know it, and Samsung is one of many hardware vendors re-imagining data center infrastructure in preparation for a parallel 3D world. Samsung is working on new memory technologies that provide faster bandwidth inside hardware for data to travel between CPUs, storage and other computing resources. The company also announced it was partnering with Red Hat to ensure these technologies have Linux compatibility. |
today's howtos
|
Recent comments
1 year 11 weeks ago
1 year 11 weeks ago
1 year 11 weeks ago
1 year 11 weeks ago
1 year 11 weeks ago
1 year 11 weeks ago
1 year 11 weeks ago
1 year 11 weeks ago
1 year 11 weeks ago
1 year 11 weeks ago