I this talk, I explore the importance of open source software beyond the typical arguments of free (cost) in a broader context of how society as a whole can benefit.

1. Why Open Source
Matters
Michael Schulz
@mschulz

2. Open Source Software is

3. … after all, it's free!
But wait ... there's more ...

4. Some definitions ...

5. Commons

6. The dictionary
A “Commons” is:
I. A public pasture ground
I. A piece of open land for recreational use
in an urban area

7. Governments as caretakers
of various commons.

8. The provisions of licenses like the GPL,
and the community development model that
they encourage, create a
commons for software.

9. 
an idea at least as old as Aristotle

popularized by Garrett James Hardin, 1915-2003

assumes that the resources of the commons are limited
The Tragedy of the Commons

10. Open Source & Free Software
do not have such limitations.

11. Community

12. The dictionary
A “Community” is:
I. A body of people having common rights, privileges,
or interests, or living in the same place under the
same laws and regulations.
II. Of common character, likeness, frequency

13. The Internet enabled the formation of a
new class of communities that could not
previously exist.

People with common interests or values

Potentially broadly geographically distributed

14. The inability to participate in the growing
society of Internet-enabled communities is a
fundamental problem,
often called the “digital divide”

15. Open Source Software
can address
this problem.

16. The behind
Open Source Software

17. The basic idea behind open source is very simple:
•
When programmers can read, redistribute, and modify the
source code for a piece of software, the software evolves.
•
People improve it, people adapt it, people fix bugs.
•
There will always be more smart people outside of any
organization than the organization could employ.

18. And this can happen at a speed which
compared to conventional software development
often seems astonishing.

20. Communities that form around
Open Source Software
freely share their knowledge
with others.

21. If information is free and open,
society as a whole will benefit.
People can contribute
and share.

22. People grow
through
of learning.

23. “Information is power. But like
all power, there are those who
want to keep it for
themselves.”
Aaron Swartz. 1986 - 2013

24. Open Source Software provides
access to real world examples of
how technologies can be
implemented. How stuff works
(and sometimes not).

25. Just some examples ...

26. Open Source Software is
transparent.

27. If everybody can look inside, there will be
no surprises, no suspicion, no concern.
Weaknesses can be identified quickly,
which in turn improves
security.

28. Need a job?

29. As a side effect of people working on
Open Source Software, they have
something much better than a
resume.
They can show real world code as
example of their skills.

30. … OK, let's talk about

31. Open Source Software
enables
economic
growth.

32. Communities which are
less funded
can thrive
because of
Open Source Software.

33. Instead of spending money outside
the community, Open Source Software
can enable them to produce
needed value inside.

34. Develop locally needed
solutions, with local resources,
generate local taxes and save
money.

35. If you can't open it,
you don't own it.

36. Open Source
Open Standards

37. As we as society grow
more and more reliable on
storing documents in
electronic formats, we
have a responsibility to
keep them accessible for
future generations.

38. Remember?
Information needs to be free.
But it has nothing to do with beer.

39. Open Source Software
and
Open Standards
provide
sustainable open access
to
your information.

41. Open Source Software
provides
independence.

42. Open Source Software
provides
transparency.

43. Open Source Software
provides
knowledge.

44. Open Source Software
provides
FREEDOM.