A weblog with random thoughts and reflections on society and ecology.
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Wednesday, February 19, 2003
Open Source & Collective Intelligence
I am continuing to explore the Open Source world.
In a nutshell, this is how Open Source development works: One person or a small group of people develop a new piece of software. They then make it freely available to others via the internet, and invite others to join in developing the software (fixing bugs, developing new features). These developments are then sent to the core group, reviewed, and implemented. A new version is then posted on the internet. New and improved versions versions are in some cases issued several times a day.
Using this approach, a powerful operating system and powerful software has been developed. Linux, a freely available operating system, is in many situations (web servers, development systems, and now desktop systems) replacing proprietary systems such as Windows. A wide range of applications is being developed, which in many cases equals or surpasses equivalent proprietary software.
Along the same lines, Open Source software for interactive and collaborative websites is being developed (php nuke, wiki etc). These collaboratively created websites are being used for creating an online encyclopedia, grassroots news reporting, global justice and peace mobilization, and much more. These websites are powerful tools for global grassroots organizing, and what we have seen so far is only the beginning.
Open Source is one of many tools for liberating our collective intelligence, leading to profound social and cultural change.
11:30
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