DISQUS

Tarus · 11 months ago

I guess I didn't manage to convey my thoughts very well in my post. To me open source software is an entirely different way to approach problem solving from traditional software. More like a communal potluck versus a restaurant. To put it in the context of Predictably Irrational, it is governed by social norms and not market norms.

As you state "The difference between the open core and open source models may be vast if you’re inside the open source world, but it’s not significant if you’re outside it." That's the problem. Instead of being able to position open source as a totally new way of doing things, it keeps being brought back into the framework of commercial software. Thus open source solutions get judged in terms of the old software paradigm, and in many cases can be found lacking as it is very difficult to convey the benefits of open source software along the lines of features and licensing costs.

My hope is that the market can be educated as to the difference, which will be the first step in driving a greater understanding and adoption of free and open software.

berkay · 11 months ago

Tarus I think we're in agreement, so may be it is I who could not convey the thoughts. I used the term "communal cookout" to describe open source projects. communal potluck sounds better. I think this conveys the difference between open source and proprietary approaches. In proprietary (restaurant) approach, you go, sit, they serve you the food they prepared, your participation is limited to eating it. You are a consumer. In an open source project, you're (or can be) part of the cooking process.

I understand that you're trying to educate market (not sure it is possible, but hope so). I am just hypothesizing that open core companies offer the comfort of a known paradigm (restaurant) with some of the benefits -albeit not all - of the open source potluck paradigm, therefore gain traction in the market.