| Open-source software is computer software whose | | | | Larry Augustin, John Hall, Sam Ockman, Christine |
| source code is available under a license (or | | | | Peterson and Eric S. Raymond. They used the |
| arrangement such as the public domain) that permits | | | | opportunity before the release of Navigator's source |
| users to study, change, and improve the software, | | | | code to clarify a potential confusion caused by the |
| and to redistribute it in modified or unmodified form. | | | | ambiguity of the word "free" in English. The 'open |
| It is often developed in a public, collaborative manner. | | | | source' movement is generally thought to have |
| It is the most prominent example of open source | | | | begun with this strategy session. Many people, |
| development and often compared to user generated | | | | nevertheless, claimed that the birth of the Internet, |
| content. | | | | since 1969, started the open source movement, |
| In 1998, a group of individuals advocated that the | | | | while others do not distinguish between open source |
| term free software be replaced by open source | | | | and free software movements. |
| software (OSS) as an expression which is less | | | | The Free Software Foundation (FSF), started in 1985, |
| ambiguous and more comfortable for the corporate | | | | intended the word 'free' to mean "free as in free |
| world. Software developers may want to publish their | | | | speech" and not "free as in free beer." Since a great |
| software with an open source software license, so | | | | deal of free software already was (and still is) free |
| that anybody may also develop the same software | | | | of charge, such free software became associated |
| or understand how it works. Open source software | | | | with zero cost, which seemed anti-commercial. |
| generally allows anybody to make a new version of | | | | The Open Source Initiative (OSI) was formed in |
| the software, port it to new operating systems and | | | | February 1998 by Eric S. Raymond and Bruce Perens. |
| processor architectures, share it with others or | | | | With at least 20 years of evidence from case |
| market it. The aim of open source is to let the | | | | histories of closed development versus open |
| product be more understandable, modifiable, | | | | development already provided by the Internet, the |
| duplicatable, reliable or simply accessible, while it is still | | | | OSI presented the 'open source' case to commercial |
| marketable. | | | | businesses, like Netscape. The OSI hoped that the |
| The Open Source Definition, notably, presents an | | | | usage of the label "open source," a term suggested |
| open-source philosophy, and further defines a | | | | by Peterson of the Foresight Institute at the |
| boundary on the usage, modification and redistribution | | | | strategy session, would eliminate ambiguity, |
| of open-source software. Software licenses grant | | | | particularly for individuals who perceive "free |
| rights to users which would otherwise be prohibited | | | | software" as anti-commercial. They sought to bring a |
| by copyright. These include rights on usage, | | | | higher profile to the practical benefits of freely |
| modification and redistribution. Several open-source | | | | available source code, and they wanted to bring |
| software licenses have qualified within the boundary | | | | major software businesses and other high-tech |
| of the Open Source Definition. The most prominent | | | | industries into open source. Perens attempted to |
| example is the popular GNU General Public License | | | | register "open source" as a service mark for the OSI, |
| (GPL). While open source presents a way to broadly | | | | but that attempt was impractical by trademark |
| make the sources of a product publicly accessible, | | | | standards. Meanwhile, thanks to the presentation of |
| the open-source licenses allow the authors to fine | | | | Raymond's paper to the upper management at |
| tune such access. | | | | Netscape (Raymond only discovered when he read |
| The "open source" label came out of a strategy | | | | the Press Release, and was called by Netscape CEO |
| session held in Palo Alto in reaction to Netscape's | | | | Jim Barksdale's PA later in the day), Netscape |
| January 1998 announcement of a source code | | | | released its Navigator source code as open source, |
| release for Navigator (as Mozilla). A group of | | | | with favorable results. |
| individuals at the session included Todd Anderson, | | | | |