Until fairly recently, the idea of free software was regarded as something generally implausible, and with little relevance to the technological mainstream. But today, all that has changed. Open-source software is now fully recognized as a robust and viable model for collaborative development.
The growing relevance of open-source software is just one manifestation of a more general trend. The central idea underlying the open-source software movement is that of freedom of action - freedom to copy, freedom to modify, freedom to distribute. This key idea is not limited to just software. The same principles of openness, reproducibility, modifiability, and redistributability can be generalized in several new directions.
Among the most interesting of these is the concept of Libre Services. Libre Services are an extension of the principles of the free software movement to the domain of Internet Application Services. Libre Services are Internet Application Services that can be freely copied, reproduced, extended, and redistributed in their entirety.
This concept is not merely theoretical; it has already been implemented in the form of the ByName Services - the world's first Libre Services. To sign up for a free ByName account and try out Libre Services for yourself, visit My.ByName.com.
This steadily expanding freedom of action will be accompanied by a steadily increasing understanding of its business dimensions. Although the technological viability of free protocols and open-source software is now well understood, their business viability is not. The absence of ownership implicit in these constructs cuts directly across the traditional business models of ownership and control. As a result, the business community is experiencing tremendous difficulty in coming to grips with the business consequences of this radical new freedom.
But this too will change. Free protocols,open-source software and libre services are not just powerful organic growth models. They also have profound, and gigantic, business ramifications.
To help promote discussion and understanding of these challenging new developments, we are pleased to provide this general repository of information relating to free protocols, open-source software, libre services, and their social and economic implications. The articles and websites listed below have been of great help to us in developing our own ideas about intellectual freedom. We hope others will find them similarly useful.
As awareness of these issues grows, we will continue to augment this repository with additional relevant articles. If you are aware of important material that is absent from the repository, we would like to hear about it; please let us know.
We believe that software and protocol patents are harmful. There is an extensive literature describing the detrimental effects of software and protocol patents. The following documents provide an excellent starting point:
The repository includes several articles we have written ourselves.
The repository also includes various relevant articles written by others.
Availability of open source software is extremely important for the creation of network industries.
Reference implementations of Web protocols were made widespread early on in the evolution of the Web Industry.
REPUBLISHED: You may also want to read through some of the articles below about the Open Source:
Our writings:
Other involved in this cause: