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Open source can introduce a kind of de-factor standardization when some project becomes the go-to solution for some domain, with almost everyone using it and co
by jononor 8y ago
Open source can introduce a kind of de-factor standardization when some project becomes the go-to solution for some domain, with almost everyone using it and contributing improvements. It is a type of network effect, the feedback loop being made possible by the open source development model. Examples include the Linux kernel, the GCC compiler[1] and even OpenSSL (which is what made heartbleed such a big deal).
Of course there still exists a long tail of alternatives, there is no stopping that in an open source world.
1. Arguably shifting to LLVM/clang these days. But note that clang for instance implements a huge amount of GCC compatible behavior (like commandline flags), instead of inventing their own.