Roundtable: The state of open source (InfoWorld)

24.03.2008 12:36 Linux/Open Source - Source: Yahoo Linux

San Francisco - Any endeavor rooted in community is bound to spark passionate debate. After all, without contention, how else to determine the best way forward?

Since its emergence, open source has embodied this spirit. Part defiant, part self-reliant, and often outspoken and opinionated, those immersed in the community have worked both in tandem and at odds, all with the intention of pushing the movement in as many worthwhile directions at once.

So worthwhile that the drumbeat of business can now be heard in nearly every corner of community, drawing the attention of vendors and capitalists alike. And with greater attention and potential has come a measure of added strife. Questions of selling out and just desserts surface more frequently, yet not to the jeopardy of the endeavor, as the code keeps proliferating, thanks to those who participate.

And so on the eve of our , we spoke with 11 thought leaders about the current open source climate to uncover the most vibrant themes and conflicts shaping open source today.

From pioneers Bruce Perens and Eric S. Raymond, to technology strategists at Google, IBM, and Microsoft, to the new guard of entrepreneurs and developers working to transform projects into products, each of our roundtable participants sheds ample light on the opportunities and pitfalls ahead.

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Roundtable participants