This document provides an overview of open-source projects and discusses some of their benefits and criticisms. It describes how open-source software makes source code freely available online for anyone to improve and distribute. Examples given include Linux, Apache, MySQL, Firefox, and WordPress. Wikipedia is discussed as another open-source collaboration, allowing any user to directly edit pages from their computer. While open-source increases innovation, Microsoft argues it could decrease innovation and that security is better ensured with proprietary software. The primary goal of open-sourcing is empowering users, but it may also enable copying of other innovations like vehicle designs without paying for R&D costs.

1. Flattener 4
Open sourcing

2. The word “open-source” comes
from the notion that companies
or ad hoc groups would make
availible online the source code-
the underlying programming
instructions that make a piece
of software work and then let
anyone who has something to
contribute improve it and let
millions of others just download
it for their own use for free.

4. Some Successful Open-source projects:
•Sendmail
•Linux
•UBUNTU
•BSD
•Apache
•My SQL
•Firefox
•Word press

5. WHAT IS APACHE ?
It is a shareware program for Web server technology.

6. The first version of Apache,based on the NCSA httpd
Web server, was developed in 1995.

7. Core development of the
Apache Web server is
performed by a group of
about 20 volunteer
programmers, called the
Apache group. However,
because the source code is
freely availible, anyone can
adapt the for specific
needs, and there is a large
public library of Apache
odd-ons.

8. Today Apache is one of the most successful open-source
tools... At the time, selling a product built on top of an
open-source program was a risky move on IBM’ s part.
To its credit, IBM was confident in its ablity to keep
producing diffrentiated software applications on top of
the Apache vanilla. This model since been widely
adopted, after everyone saw how it propelled IBM’ s
Web server business to commercial leadership in that
category of software, generating huge amounts of
revenue.

12. Another intellectual
commons collaboration
is Wikipedia, the user-
contributed online
encyclopedia, also
known as "the people's
encyclopedia." The
word "wikis" is taken
from the Hawaiian word
for "quick."

13. Wikis are Web sites that allow users to directly edit any
Web page on their own from their home computer.

14. The Wikipedia project was
started by Jimmy Wales, head
of Internet startup Bomis.com,
after his original project for a
volunteer, but strictly
controlled, free encyclopedia
ran out of money and
resources after two years.

15. Editors with PhD degrees were at the helm of the
project then, but it produced only a few hundred
articles. Wales placed the pages on a wiki website in
2001 and invited any internet users to edit or add to
the collection.

16. The site became incredible success and in 2004 it
exceeded 250,000 articles in English and 600,000
articles in 50 other languages. According to web site
rankings it has become more popular than traditional
online encyclopedias.

18. After all , every article in the
Wikipedia has an “edit this
page” button, allowing
anyone who surfs along to
add or delete content on
that page. It starts with the
fact, because wikis provide
the ability to track the status
of articles, review individual
changes and discuss issues,
they function as social
software. So that it is also an
open source database.

19. The primary goal of the free software movement is to
get as many people as possible writing, improving and
distributing software for free, out of a conviction that
this will empower everyone and free individuals from
the grip of global corporations.

20. In 1991, a student at the
University of Helsinki named
Linus Torvalds, building off of
Stallman's initiative, posted his
Linux operating system to
compete with the Microsoft
Windows operating system and
invited other engineers and
geeks online to try to improve it-
for free.

21. Microsoft’s response to the
open source movement is
that if everyone is working
for free and giving away their
work innovation will
decrease. Also Microsoft
trusts their security
programs.

22. In addition companies need some specific operating
systems. So when you add up all the costs of adapting
the Linux operating system to the needs of your
company and its specific hardware platform and
applications. Microsoft argues, it can end up costing as
much as or more than windows.

23. Some ethical global governance
issues are present because of
open sourcing. Once you start
to socialize the global
population on the idea that
software or any other
innovation is supposed to be
free, a lot of people will not
distinguish between free
software, free pharmaceuticals,
free music, or free patents on
car designs.

24. A major American auto company recently discovered
that some Chinese firms were using new digital-
scanning technology to scan an entire car and churn
out computer-aided design models of every part within
a very short period of time. They can then feed those
designs to industrial robots and in short order produce
a perfect copy of a GM car-without having to spend any
money on R & D.

25. Open-source is an important flattener because it makes
available for free many tools, from software to
encyclopedias, that millions of people around the world
would have had to buy in order to use.