Ethical Considerations when implementing OSS :: Open Source Software Technology Essays

Ethical Considerations when implementing OSS I. Background Starting from 1998, some of the people in the free software community began using the term "Open Source Software" instead of "Free Software". At that time, I was working for Sun Microsystem for one of the "Open Source Software" project -- localization of Mozilla. Sun Microsystem is one of the biggest system company in the "Open Source Software" community. a) Difference between "free software" and "open source" Comparing to "Free Software", the term ``open source software'' is associated with a different engineering approach, different values, and even a different criterion for which licenses are acceptable. We differentiate the Free Software movement and the Open Source movement with different views and goals, although engineers can and do work together on some practical projects. The fundamental difference between the two movements is in their values. For the Open Source movement, the issue of whether software should be open source is a practical question, not an ethical one. Open source is a development methodology, whereas free software is a social movement. In other words, Open Source Software is not absolutely free, non-free software is optional. For the Free Software approach, software should be free. However, the official definition of "Open Source Software,'' as published by the Open Source Initiative, is very close to our definition of free software. The obvious meaning for the expression ``open source software'' is ``You can look at the source code.'' What does that mean? Actually, by this definition, free software, semi-free programs such as Xv, and even some proprietary programs, are all "Open Source Software" since we can look at the source code as long as we have the licence. Linux is "open source'' software meaning, simply, that anyone can get copies of its source code files. I think the defintion of "Open Source Software" from the state of Kansas is better: "Make use of open-source software (OSS). OSS is software for which the source code is freely and publicly available, though the specific licensing agreements vary as to what one is allowed to do with that code." The explanation for ``free software'' is simple -- a person who has the right to use the software for zero price. The main argument for the term "open source software'' is that "free software'' makes some people uneasy. We can easily find this kind of argument in any "open source software" community.