Latest revision as of 04:33, 19 August 2009

History of Open Source

This is a lesson part of the module The Web Economy out of the Open Source ERP/Executive Diploma course conducted by a private university.

Open Source was the original way software was written and shared among university students and professionals^[1].
It was then closed by commercial vendors, forcing Richard Stallman to start the Free Software movement^[2].
Open Source has evolved and mature with different players and philosophies^[3].
This fine line between the two looks like a long religious one. Even the combination acronym FOSS that stands for Free and Open Source Software^[4] is not accepted by Stallman.

Research on the statement that software was originally free.
How does such software companies make money back then?
What did Richard Stallman^[5] fight for and how is it different from Open Source^[6]?
How is Microsoft working with Open Source?^[7].

Publish your works in an attractive manner in your user page, stating your own views and findings providing links to your sources. Use the talk page here to score marks.
Create or edit sub-pages of course materials within wikiversity.
Discuss in the forum (link shall be provided) by offering your ideas and answering or comment on others' postings.

(Provided by Students - subject to edit ranking by tutor)

(Provided by Students - subject to edit ranking by tutor)

(Done in wikiversity as course material by the students under the guidance of the tutor)