WHO WE ARE

This issue we asked our experts: We’re wondering where open source could be heading over the next decade – and if it’ll be consumed by corporate interests…

Jonni Bidwell

Some open source projects might benefit from being ‘consumed’ if it helps them profit – everyone has to eat, after all. But I think the corporatisation of Linux (and free software in general) is a legitimate concern too. I write this from the comfort of a Linux Foundation conference, where generous corporate backing provides me with infinite snacks.

Neil Bothwick

Commercial influence on Linux is nothing new – many developers on major projects are paid by big companies. Smaller projects generally have more freedom, and can develop into larger ones if they prove popular. Then big money moves in and the cycle continues.

Les Pounder

Open source projects rely on the community to keep them alive. They need a strong and active community in order for them to grow and develop into better products for consumption. This costs time and money for all involved, which is not easy for some communities to raise.

Mayank Sharma

You say it as if it’s a bad thing! There’s too much corporate interest in open source already and I think misadventures like Canonical’s, if they go uncorrected, will help sort the companies that have the best interest of the community from the ones that only care about their bottom lines.

Alexander Tolstoy

I put aside my tea in a tea glass holder (I think this is a language thing – Ed) and say that dropping 32-bits has long been overdue. My most ancient Linux machine has a Pentium IV CPU, which was already 64-bit. Nevertheless, big corporations are usually evil!