Open source movement is not just a movement, but a philosophy

Written in 2001 for a newsletter Infantry School, Mhow. since then Linux has taken huge strides

The winds of open source movement are sweeping across the globe. Even as I am writing, the India-chapter of the Free Software Movement (FSF) is being inaugurated at Thiruvananthapuram, by Mr Richard Stallman. Mr Richard Stallman is the father of FSF and his grand aim is to develop an Operating system and a complete set of utilities under an open licence, so that one would not have to pay for software again.

What is open source software? It was born to counter the propriety software. Propriety software is developed by a monolith company like Microsoft, hiring the best available brains, to produce a high class, high cost software. Mind you the best brains come with a huge price tags. The source code is kept a heavily guarded secret and so are the bugs. Should the user face any problem, he just has to wait for the developer to come out with the next version with less bugs and more features. However, Microsoft is a past master in convincing the users that the bugs were actually features.

As against this, under open source concept, a programmer allows free access to his source code so that anyone is free to edit or add to improve the software. The only condition is that he too must keep his amendments open to everyone else. Of course, he retains the copyright to his contribution in the project. Who maintains the program to ensure it functions correctly? The creator of the software does it, not for money, but for maintaining his reputation among peers. For eg. JOE (Stands for Joe’s Own editor) is a text processor which works on Linux(pronounced as Lee-nucks). Joseph H Allen requires no further motivation to maintain this software than the fact that the program is named after him.

With the advent of Internet, the concept need not be limited to development of software alone but can even be used for developing a soft drink. Will Coca Cola or Pepsi ever open their formulae to the world for analysis and improvement?! Open Source Movement aims at tapping the hidden talent from all over the world. It fosters a spirit of working for self-pride rather than for material benefits. It is not just a movement; it is a philosophy, a religion, a way of life.

The message of this religion is clear; “Whatever you have to give to the world (Everybody has plenty to give), give it freely and ungrudgingly. Do not work only for money or position. As for accepting contributions from others, do so graciously and pay back with recognition, not just money or position.”