TL;DR:

– The article focuses on the deeper meaning and importance of the ‘spirit’ of open source, significantly transcending the mere notion of a license.
– It asserts that open source offers broader benefits including fostering innovation, improving transparency, and promoting collaboration among developers.
– The author emphasizes that sticking to the ethics of open source spiritually, not just technologically, is equally significant.
– It raises an important point that even though a project might legally qualify as ‘open source’, it can’t truly embody the open source spirit without open governance and community participation.

Article

In this insightful TechCrunch article, the significance of the spirit of open source is explained far beyond the commonplace understanding of a license. The piece advocates how open source offers massive rewards beyond the scope of technology and transcends into arenas like creativity acceleration, transparency enhancement, and fostering a sense of community among developers globally.

The author clearly articulates that it’s not just the tangible, technological facets that need to be open source, but the ethos of the project, the philosophy, and the governing ruleset that should stand true to the spirit of open source.

Crucially, a compelling argument is made that a project maintaining an open source license isn’t enough to classify it as embodying the true spirit of open source. Open governance (with decisions being made transparently and inclusive of community input), along with active community participation, is deemed essential for this.

Thoughts

At Watkins Labs, we couldn’t agree more with the essence of this perspective. The spirit of open source is not an option; it’s an ideology. It roots itself in the belief of an inclusive, transparent, and collaborative approach to technology. It’s not just about the license, it’s about embracing a philosophy that resonates with fraternity, mutual growth, and constant innovation – values that we at Watkins Labs hold dear.

And what do you think? Is the fundamental value of open source tied to its spirit rather than its technical aspects alone? How do you perceive the key difference between open source as a license and open source as a philosophy?

References

Source: TechCrunch