The Success of Open Source

Author:

Steve Weber




Book Title:

The Success of Open Source



Chapter URL:



Date published:

2009



The Gist:



Chapter 3 of this book, titled "What Is Open Source and How Does It Work?", discusses the origins of open-source software, the general intention behind open-source software, and the process in which open source software is produced and the issues that come with production.



The Good:

1. The discussion of how open-source software came to be. The quick spread of such a project over such a short period of time (and in an era where computers weren't anywhere near as accessible as they are now, no less) stuck with me.

2. Bringing up the fact that the majority of code in an open-source project is written by a minority of users also stuck with me. It really shows the dedication of a few users in projects that involve upwards of thousands of people.

3. The discussion of the differences within the open-source community was interesting, particularly as far as how certain major open-source groups handle changes to code.



The Bad:

1. While I get the general idea of how the open source process works, I doubt I'll remember the eight general principles listed in this chapter.

2. The fact that open-source vs. intellectual property isn't exactly defined. It is mentioned that certain contributors to such projects are ardent defenders of IP, but doesn't explain how IP ties into open-source software, even if the connection does exist.

3. Despite this book's release date (as far as I could identify), a lot of the information in this book is from quite a few years before the publishing. This could be a result of the book taking years to write and/or it being a later edition, of course, but a lot has changed since the late 90s/early 2000s as far as the Internet goes, even when looking as far back at the mid-2000s.



The Questions:

1. What, exactly, is a "Kernel"? It seems to be thrown around when it comes to Linux quite often, and this chapter was no exception. While I could just as easily look this up, it would be nice if it was explained within this chapter (although it's entirely possible that it was explained in a previous chapter).

2. In this chapter, it is mentioned that Fredrick Brooks compared open-source software development to the building of medieval cathedrals. It is further explained that he was talking about a specific kind ("Reims, not Chartres"). While not exactly necessary to the understanding of the concept of open source software development, what is the difference between these two kinds of cathedrals?

3. Why does Finland have the highest number of contributors to open-source software per capita?



Review:



This particular chapter of this book is fairly well-written for people who are comparatively new to the world of open source software, although it still has a minor issue of some research being required to get a complete understanding of the chapter, although it is mostly understandable without any research. One issue this chapter has is that it feels a bit longer-winded than it needs to be, given the content. For someone looking for a quick burst of information on how open-source software came to be, and how it is made, this may not be the best choice in text. However, it is still solid for someone with a bit more time on their hands.



Overall, I'd give this a 4/5.
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