As I mentioned before, I am not against proper use of open source.  I have open sourced one of the first implementations of W3C DOM API to good effect.  While it has not been upgraded to support DOM Level 2 and SAX Level 2, it included HTML API support which popular DOM implementations are just starting now.  I have also used open source products such as OpenSSL, Eclipse, Perl, Python, and various Apache products.

My issue is with the word 'proper'.  Open source extremists belive all software should be open source.  Extremists on the other end believe that source code, like dirty underwear, should be kept proprietary.  I would like to believe that most people fall somewhere between those positions, within the galatic plane of our software galaxy, the Milky Way.

To get a better understanding of open source and its effects, I am going to post my thoughts and observations on open source until I run dry.  Here are some to start with.

Monopoly - is it possible to have a monopoly in open source?  Can an open source project or group grow popular enough to cause other open source projects to suffer from lack of resource and exposure?  Is Apache a glimpse into the future of open source?

Legality - if I build commercial software using open source components which 1000 people contributed to, am I liable in some way?  Can open source licenses stand up in the court?

Genie - open source is like a genie in a bottle, once its out, its difficult to put it back.

As I have other thoughts in the future on the subject of open source, I will post them.  I ask you to do the same.

A lot of open source projects take donations, usually via PayPal.  I have no idea how much donations are being made, but a glimpse into AbiSource.com's tip jar appeared in an Register article about a PayPal fraud.  I am disappointed by the amount and frequency of donations as well as PayPal charging transaction fees for open source donations.  AbiSource makes AbiWord, a well-known cross-platform word processor.

It happened over the past two months while I waited for SUNW to bottom and I don't know exactly why, but I heard the coffin closing on Sun.  Sun is going the way of SGI with a damsel in distress, Java, in its arms.  Where did I put my double-edged sword?