Open-source code: A corporate building block
More and more enterprises are proving that open-source is just as good as, or better than, commercial code. And that despite the traditions and culture clashes between the open-source community and commercial enterprise, there's an increasing need for merging the best of both worlds and running a mix of the two.
Why a penguin?
He's a happy penguin, designed to look like he's "just polished off a pitcher of beer and had the best sex of his life." But what in the world does that have to do with open-source software code?
Does openness help or hurt?
Sharing code encourages everyone to remove bugs. But while many professionals who build computer security and encryption tools see the benefits of openness, some worry that the same source code that helps professionals close back doors and plug holes also makes it easier for attackers to locate them first.
Finding profit in partnership
With investors no longer interested in funding companies that give their products away, the programmers and executives who still work in companies committed to sharing their source code with the world are picking up the pieces and trying to build a coherent business model.
Open options
The open-source success stories, such as Apache and Linux, are well-known, but the tale doesn't necessarily end there. Open-source development is an ongoing process, and today's unknown project and anonymous developers are tomorrow's can't-live-without-it piece of the infrastructure. Here are four projects that you may not have heard of.
Ulterior motives
At first glance, the work seems so noble. after late nights and long hours, bleary-eyed programmers take their valuable code and toss it onto the Internet as a gift to the world. The ultimate sacrifice? Not exactly.
