2  The History of Open Source

2.1 Providing some historical context

In the early days of computing in the late 19th and early 20th century software and hardware were closely coupled to each other. Early computers came with software as part of the machine. The source code was freely shared and changeable by owners of the machines. In the 1980s Richard Stallman coined the term “free software” and started a free software movement. This is a movement which feels that all software should be freely shared. Later Linus Torvald released an open source copy of UNIX, called Linux which is still the most dominnat open source operating system in the world today. Eric Raymond wrote the landmark essay “The Cathedral and the Bazaar” outlining principlas for the open source movment.

2.2 Collective Good

Of course alturistic and shared public goods have been around for longer than there have been computers. One of the preminnant pieces of scholarship on common-pool resources (CPRs) and collective action is her work “Governing the Commons”. Within this work Ostrom lays out 7-8 design principles for long-enduring CPR institutions. These rules are often applied to key resources like water, crops, and shared infrastructure, but there is a lot to learn about social interactiona, and shared labor from this work that parallels challenges and opportunities of Open Source as well.

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Many countries have provisions in their tax code for organizations that are deemed collective goods to be able to operate without the burden of paying taxes, and enabling other private citizens to support them

2.3 Indigenous collective decision making

We are not experts in all of these indigenous models of collective action, but we present them to show models of governance structures which can come from different places, and based on differing cultural practices and norms.

In indigenous Māori culture, the native people of New Zealand, there is an emphasis on collective decision making and the importance of taking the time to conduct consensus building. Rangatira (chiefs) have a sense of collective Kaitiakitanga (guardianship) for the environment, land, and resources of the community. Bringing people together for a Hui (meeting) where releationships are built and the collective energy of gathering, are importnat parts of how Māori society works.

The Iroquis Haudenosaunee Confederacy model brought together the Six Nations under one governing Great Law of Peace. This governance strucutre and model laid out a Grand Council, Clan and Nation structures, Political Representation, the important role of Women in society. These democratic principles pre-date European settlement and are considered to be the roots of our modern liberal democracies.

Potlach ceremonies were popular among the tribes of the Pacific northwest of North America. These were gatherings where social structures were reinfornced, wealthy individuals were expected to redistribute wealth, conflicts could be resolved and stories shared among the attendees. There were complex protocols, rules and laws governing the events. These events lasted from days to months, and were cornerstones of collective action among various indigenous groups of the pacific northwest.

2.4 Civic action

2.5 Governance

This is just a taster, we’ll cover collective action models more closely in the chapter on governance.

2.6 Open source pre-Internet

Freeware Shareware

2.7 An explosion of licenses

GNU MIT BSD

2.7.1 Permissive Licenses

2.7.2 Restrictive Licenses

Free as in beer

2.8 Present day

Licenses continue to proliferate.