Intro to Digital Age

Wikipedia describes open source as “practices in production and development that promote access to the end product’s sources.”  It is considered a philosophy by some and a methodology by others.  I think it’s both.  The idea of open source can be applied to many things, as the wikipedia entry demonstrated, from software development to journalism to agriculture.  One example given was an open source community in which entrepreneurs provide services and products to the community at no charge in exchange for feedback.  Both the entrepreneurs and community members benefit in this design.  I think this is a great concept, and may be working for the members of the Bootstrap community.  However, there are some key issues to consider.  One of those issues is copyright law.

Open source licenses are currently available for computer software that allow for modification of a code under certain terms and/or restrictions.  These licenses do not apply to other areas of open source sharing such as journalism or agriculture, as described above.  This is where the organization Creative Commons comes in to the picture.  Creative Commons is a nonprofit organization that provides licenses to copyright creative works.  The flexible licenses they provide allow you to keep your copyright while offering some of the rights to the public on certain conditions.  The licenses cover both online and offline work in a way not previously covered by traditional copyright laws.  Their licenses allow for open source sharing in which the creative work of an individual can be used by someone else without the fear of someone “stealing” another’s work.  It does not cover ideas or factual information, though, similar to traditional copyright laws.  A license such as this would be beneficial to the open source community described above.  With a creative commons license, the entrepreneurs would be able to protect their work while allowing members of the community to be involved.  It is a good solution to a potential problem.  I don’t think it is the ultimate solution, though.

In the digital age, there is a lot of information and idea sharing.  The Internet has made communication available across the globe.  As technologies continue to improve, I think the issue of copyright will become more complicated.  For example, a few weeks ago I wrote about DIY Fabrication in the future.  Copyright law will be tested once home production is available.  No one will know that you didn’t pay Nike for the new pair of shoes you created based on its design.  Or will they?  The recent lawsuits that came out of music file sharing demonstrated the power of copyright laws.  I think copyright laws will have to adjust to the digital age.  A more flexible approach, such as the licenses provided by Creative Commons is a good example to follow.              

In The Cathedral and the Bazaar, Raymond discussed the differing viewpoints of open-source sharing.  The traditional, cathedral model of software development used by most commercial businesses is the creation of a program by a single software engineer.  The bazaar model was described by Raymond as a large and busy group of individuals from different backgrounds working together to develop a program.  It seems that projects created in the bazaar model would fall apart more often then take off with such a diverse group of individuals collaborating.  Raymond argued that this is not the case, however, as Linux has proven.  Raymond pointed out that “it’s almost always easier to start from a good partial solution than from nothing at all.”  Linus Torvald demonstrated this point in the creation of Linux in which he reused code and ideas from another company to get his project off the ground.  In the bazaar model, users become co-developers in the process of software development, diagnosing problems and improving code.  Linus utilized the knowledge of users by releasing early models often and listening to the responses from users.  Linus’ Law, as Raymond described it, states that “Given enough eyeballs, all bugs are shallow.”  With a large enough co-developer base, Linus discovered that almost every problem could be found and fixed faster and better than an individual working alone on the project.  This allows for faster development and final release of a program.  User input often gives the developer a new way of looking at a problem and a new way to fix it.  Raymond took what he learned from the development of Linux and applied it to his own project, Fetchmail.  Through his experience he found that in the bazaar style, a program does not have to necessarily work well, but it should present a ”plausible promise” that users will want to contribute to.  As the coordinator, he found it necessary to be able to recognize good design ideas from bad to integrate into the program.  The coordinator should also, in Raymond’s opinion, have good communication and people skills.  He argued that in building a community through open-source sharing, the coordinator needs to attract people, interest them in the work being done, and keep them happy.  Raymond concluded that the future of open-source software belongs to those who have embraced the bazaar model, who are willing to collaborate with others from around the world by sharing ideas and talents.  

Raymond’s idea of open-source sharing reminds me of our reading from the other week, Rheingold’s Smart Mobs.  Digital technology has allowed us to come together forming social groups that create change and influence societies.  Smart mobs are social groups linked together through mobile communication devices, communicating over distances and organizing events.  In the same way, users of open-source sharing work together, communicating on issues related to projects, and develop new programs.  The idea of user-generated media as discussed earlier in the semester in regards to blogging is also similar to open-source sharing.  Citizens are able to communicate to members of their communities and around the world on topics of interest to those communities.  Collaboration and communication are important in the digital age.  As people find new ways to work together, new ideas are formed and new solutions are created.  In the world of open-source sharing, this has lead to the faster creation of better software programs.    

The website wikipedia is an example of open-source sharing that demonstrates the collaboration of many individuals working on a project.  The site is constantly changing, as evidenced in a recent CNN.com article.  The article discussed the ”challenges” of such a collaboration, citing the numerous times changes were made to Lay’s biography on the website due to contributors’ differing opinions on the cause of death.  I think this is a good example of the success of open-source sharing.  Incorrect information was changed quickly, and clear details began to emerge as users continued to contribute.  The true information was eventually entered and has since remained.  Through the work of many individuals contributing, false information was easily identified and deleted.  Valid contributions were expanded upon until a satisfactory conclusion was reached.  I agree with Raymond’s opinion that two (or more) heads are better than one.  A different pair of eyes will notice different problems and different solutions.  Working together on problems will lead to the creation of the best solutions.  I think we will notice this even more in the future as digital technologies continue to allow for collaboration around the world.