Comments on: Open Source Disruption: Will You Trust Your Community? http://www.eosdirectory.com/blogs/2007/10/30/open-source-disruption-will-you-trust-your-community/ Enterprise Open Source Directory Sat, 06 Sep 2008 00:09:45 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: Kit Plummer http://www.eosdirectory.com/blogs/2007/10/30/open-source-disruption-will-you-trust-your-community/#comment-314 Kit Plummer Sat, 17 Nov 2007 23:07:44 +0000 http://www.eosdirectory.com/blogs/2007/10/30/open-source-disruption-will-you-trust-your-community/#comment-314 I think, generally, that most can't comprehend the Open Source process. Just because the software is Open (source code) does not have to imply that the process is equally Open. Just look at the premium Open Source foundations like Apache, GNU (and to a lesser extent Eclipse). There is a huge layer of government that controls the process and the community. Having been a change agent for Open Sourcing internally (corporate controlled/firewalled Open Source) within an organization and externally with the production of true Open Source software, I think it is far-fetched to expect that the customer would play an active/proactive role in an Open Source project. It would be a dream if they did, but then really if they did why would they need the you (the consultant role)? Can you have a product, that is open, and funded/sponsored by a customer? Yes. But, this is a completely different line of thinking. Taking a look at http://producingoss.com reveals many roles for all stakeholders. The customer fits some well, and others just don't make sense. The bottom line is that there is a huge difference between consuming and producing Open Source. Refining the argument around the two definitions will change your closing questions dramatically. I think, generally, that most can’t comprehend the Open Source process. Just because the software is Open (source code) does not have to imply that the process is equally Open. Just look at the premium Open Source foundations like Apache, GNU (and to a lesser extent Eclipse). There is a huge layer of government that controls the process and the community.

Having been a change agent for Open Sourcing internally (corporate controlled/firewalled Open Source) within an organization and externally with the production of true Open Source software, I think it is far-fetched to expect that the customer would play an active/proactive role in an Open Source project. It would be a dream if they did, but then really if they did why would they need the you (the consultant role)? Can you have a product, that is open, and funded/sponsored by a customer? Yes. But, this is a completely different line of thinking.

Taking a look at http://producingoss.com reveals many roles for all stakeholders. The customer fits some well, and others just don’t make sense. The bottom line is that there is a huge difference between consuming and producing Open Source. Refining the argument around the two definitions will change your closing questions dramatically.

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