The Evolution of the Open Source Software Foundation
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The document outlines the importance of open source software foundations in fostering the growth and sustainability of FOSS projects. It emphasizes that these non-profit foundations provide essential services such as legal structure and technical support, which encourage corporate participation and community collaboration. Ultimately, the document argues that successful FOSS foundations create an environment conducive to the development and adoption of shared, collaboratively developed software.
The Evolution of the Open Source Software Foundation
- 1. The Evolu*on of the Open Source So3ware Founda*on SCaLE11x Stephen R. Walli February 2013
- 2. The Thesis FOSS Founda:ons are essen:al to enabling the growth of FOSS Projects when companies want to par:cipate, contribute and adopt.
- 3. Two Ra*os ~20 LoC/day 1 bug : 1000 LoC
- 4. So3ware Economics Wri:ng good soIware is hard work Re-‐use is everything We have shared soIware since we wrote it. Liberally-‐licensed collabora:vely developed soIware is the best re-‐use strategy.
- 5. The Economics of Shared Development
- 6. The Economics of Companies Collabora*ng
- 7. Founda*ons as IP Management Machines • This is the history of the FSF, the ASF, the OSDL/Linux Founda:on, and the Eclipse Founda:on • Regardless of what each founda:on represents to its members and cons:tuencies, what they “do” is IP management.
- 8. Henrik Ingo’s Observa*ons Henrik Ingo determined that the 9 largest most vibrant projects are governed independently by founda:ons (hXp://bit.ly/f3O34M) The tenth largest (is company supported) is an order of magnitude smaller
- 9. Neutrality and Ownership “There appears to be a glass ceiling for single vendor projects prohibi:ng their growth from the Large category upwards. ” — Henrik Ingo
- 10. An Organic Project Life-‐Cycle
- 11. What is a FOSS Founda*on? Founda:ons are non-‐profits* that provide: Legal Structure Business Opera:ons Technical Services * But they are s:ll businesses
- 12. Founda*ons * But they are s:ll businesses
- 14. Corporate Projects ????? ?????
- 15. Why does it maNer? Neutrality encourages contribu:on Clean IP encourages adop:on Founda:ons act as community centre-‐of-‐gravity
- 16. Neutrality Encourages Contribu*on (Inbound)
- 17. Neutrality and Ownership • Successful Projects Grow and Evolve un:l … – Apache SoIware Founda:on – OSDL/Linux Founda:on – Eclipse Founda:on
- 18. Clean IP Encourages Adop*on (Outbound)
- 19. Legal Structures are Important • License (inbound/outbound) • Assignments and Contribu:on Licenses • Provenance tracking • Liability and risk management • CommiXer indemnifica:on
- 20. Founda*on as Community Centre-‐of-‐Gravity
- 21. Crea*ng Strong Communi*es • Support an Architecture of Par:cipa:on • Make it easy to join the conversa:on • Support and grow commiXers • Support lines of communica:ons • Provide technical services + infrastructure (forges, code signing, etc.)
- 22. Conclusions While liberally licensed shared collabora:ve soIware development may represent the best soIware re-‐use strategy we have, FOSS Founda:ons are essen:al to the par:cipa:on of companies that can grow and sustain FOSS projects and their communi:esn long term
- 23. Ques*ons? Stephen R. Walli Technical Director, Outercurve Founda:on hXp://www.outercurve.org swalli@outercurve.org hXp://stephesblog.blogs.com (Once More unto the Breach) hXp://www.networkworld.com/community/walli @stephenrwalli