“The International Dimension of the Open Source Software Debate” (Salon on February 4th, 2006)

Would you pay $43,000 for a copy of Microsoft Office and Windows XP?  The equivalent effective cost if the average Indian wants a copy, is around $43,000 – that is, it would take the amount of time it takes an American to earn $43,000 (14.5 months) for the average Indian to earn the rupees to pay for a copy of Office & XP.  However, Indians need to use prevailing software standards to best integrate themselves in the global economy.  Hence, the question of whether proprietary products or free/open source alternatives gain more widespread acceptance becomes an Indian national political interest.  Given the increasing integration of the global economy, decisions between these alternatives made in San Francisco, Rio, Shanghai and St Petersburg interact.  A war for world domination is raging between allies of free/open source software and supporters of proprietary software.  Battlegrounds in different nations include restrictions enforcement (copyright, patent, monopoly), subsidies, fines, critical mass. Microsoft's owners and customers are largely here in the United States, so US Government positions have a big impact.

 

The main idea of Free Software is that producers of software provide the recipients of this software with the freedom to dissect, understand, customize, and improve and build upon this software and, in turn, distribute their product.  Open Source evangelists emphasize that such abilities result in better software.  In contrast, traditional copyright protections are designed to maximize proprietary rights over wisdom and source code based on the theory that maximum control leads to maximum profit.

While open source underpins most computer activity around the world, this software lacks and does not need the marketing muscle that backs proprietary software.  In consequence, most people using open source don't even realize they are doing so.  Examples include free replacements for such popular applications as Windows, Office, Internet Explorer, Encarta, Photoshop, Dreamweaver, Instant Messaging programs, video games and Oracle.

 

What are the political, cultural and economic goals and impacts of open source, in areas including freedom, privacy, and happiness?  How are poorer nations struggling to support open source software?  What have been the dynamics of open source migrations?  For instance, why has Linux been adopted as the operating system standard or even the development strategy in cities and nations, including Venezuela, Brazil, Extremadura and other regions of Spain, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Bhutan, and China?  How have open source applications been internationalized?  Will open source or proprietary software-based ecosystems dominate as political and economic interests in this debate clash all over the world?  We will explore these issues.

PRESENTER BIO: Matthew studied at Yale and currently works as a computer consultant, in confronting SPAM and developing open standards.  A potpourri of his professional and some outside interests can be found at http://wiki.fastmail.fm/index.php/MrElvey