5 ms·

A minority of software is open source. It’s the bubble of Github and HN that makes open source to be more prevalent than it actually is.

chrisseaton 6y ago
> A minority of software is open source. How do we know this to be true? Has anyone checked?
- pjmlp 6y ago
  Value point of one. Coding since mid-80's, never worked for a company that would allow me to publish work related code, with exception of my time spent in research institutions. I bet this applies to the large majority of developers out there, but I am extrapolating.
- mh7 6y ago
  Look at all the software running on your computer right now, how much of it is open source? (Including OS, drivers, ssd/efi/cpu/misc controllers firmware). Email every website you visit and ask to get the source code. Go and check all gadgets in your house which contains a microcontroller or cpu, how many of those can you get the source code for? Ask your car manufacturer for the source code of all its systems. Go out in your city, look at all computerized utilities (screens, payment systems, traffic lights, elevators, power plants, public transport, the list goes on..) Does it really need to be checked? Seems blatantly obvious to me that most software is proprietary.
  - chrisseaton 6y ago
    > Email every website you visit and ask to get the source code. Well 30% of websites alone run WordPress, so I could look at the source code. I'm not sure it's as blatantly obvious as you think it is.
    - sokoloff 6y ago
      When contemplating how much software is closed vs open and specifically in the context of the value of github profile/activity for hiring, I am much more inclined to count the production and maintenance activity (the dollars and human hours) not the deployment count. If 75 million sites are running Wordpress, I think that counts as “closer to 1000 (because Wordpress is large) than 75,000,000”.
  - codesections 6y ago
    > Look at all the software running on your computer right now, how much of it is open source? Most of it? The hardware, OS, web browser, window manager, terminal emulator, and text editor all are, anyway. There are a few proprietary bibs and bobs, but really not that many. > Go and check all gadgets in your house which contains a microcontroller or cpu, how many of those can you get the source code for? My impression is that most of this IoT-type devices run Linux of some variety. They might have some proprietary stuff on top (though not a ton, given the GPL), but that seems to be basically another check in the "open source" column. > Ask your car manufacturer for the source code of all its systems. Well, it's a Toyota, so it's running Automotive Grade Linux, so… > Does it really need to be checked? Seems blatantly obvious to me that most software is proprietary. It doesn't seem blatantly obvious to me, but it's interesting to hear your perspective
    - asutekku 6y ago
      Just because some part of the underlying software is open source (AGL) does not suddenly make the whole thing open source. And you’re in a minority if you’re using linux or some variant of it as your OS. The world outside of tech circles is much more closed source.
      - chrisseaton 6y ago
        > And you’re in a minority if you’re using linux or some variant of it as your OS. The world outside of tech circles is much more closed source. Do you realise most people's primary computing device - their phone - is running open source Linux?
        asutekku 6y ago
        And a large part of it is Google’s proprietary code. Hardly anyone runs pure android without any closed source components.
        bdcravens 6y ago
        Correct, but that wasn't what was being responded to, it was this claim: "you’re in a minority if you’re using linux or some variant of it as your OS" Ultimately the point you made here is what's important: that there is plenty of closed source that runs the world, even if underlying infrastructure is open.
bdcravens 6y ago
Open source IS prevalent, but most of it leads to closed source. A large majority of those employed as developers are using open source libraries and languages to build closed software.

chrisseaton 6y ago

> A minority of software is open source. How do we know this to be true? Has anyone checked?

pjmlp 6y ago
Value point of one. Coding since mid-80's, never worked for a company that would allow me to publish work related code, with exception of my time spent in research institutions. I bet this applies to the large majority of developers out there, but I am extrapolating.
mh7 6y ago
Look at all the software running on your computer right now, how much of it is open source? (Including OS, drivers, ssd/efi/cpu/misc controllers firmware). Email every website you visit and ask to get the source code. Go and check all gadgets in your house which contains a microcontroller or cpu, how many of those can you get the source code for? Ask your car manufacturer for the source code of all its systems. Go out in your city, look at all computerized utilities (screens, payment systems, traffic lights, elevators, power plants, public transport, the list goes on..) Does it really need to be checked? Seems blatantly obvious to me that most software is proprietary.
- chrisseaton 6y ago
  > Email every website you visit and ask to get the source code. Well 30% of websites alone run WordPress, so I could look at the source code. I'm not sure it's as blatantly obvious as you think it is.
  - sokoloff 6y ago
    When contemplating how much software is closed vs open and specifically in the context of the value of github profile/activity for hiring, I am much more inclined to count the production and maintenance activity (the dollars and human hours) not the deployment count. If 75 million sites are running Wordpress, I think that counts as “closer to 1000 (because Wordpress is large) than 75,000,000”.
- codesections 6y ago
  > Look at all the software running on your computer right now, how much of it is open source? Most of it? The hardware, OS, web browser, window manager, terminal emulator, and text editor all are, anyway. There are a few proprietary bibs and bobs, but really not that many. > Go and check all gadgets in your house which contains a microcontroller or cpu, how many of those can you get the source code for? My impression is that most of this IoT-type devices run Linux of some variety. They might have some proprietary stuff on top (though not a ton, given the GPL), but that seems to be basically another check in the "open source" column. > Ask your car manufacturer for the source code of all its systems. Well, it's a Toyota, so it's running Automotive Grade Linux, so… > Does it really need to be checked? Seems blatantly obvious to me that most software is proprietary. It doesn't seem blatantly obvious to me, but it's interesting to hear your perspective
  - asutekku 6y ago
    Just because some part of the underlying software is open source (AGL) does not suddenly make the whole thing open source. And you’re in a minority if you’re using linux or some variant of it as your OS. The world outside of tech circles is much more closed source.
    - chrisseaton 6y ago
      > And you’re in a minority if you’re using linux or some variant of it as your OS. The world outside of tech circles is much more closed source. Do you realise most people's primary computing device - their phone - is running open source Linux?
      - asutekku 6y ago
        And a large part of it is Google’s proprietary code. Hardly anyone runs pure android without any closed source components.
        bdcravens 6y ago
        Correct, but that wasn't what was being responded to, it was this claim: "you’re in a minority if you’re using linux or some variant of it as your OS" Ultimately the point you made here is what's important: that there is plenty of closed source that runs the world, even if underlying infrastructure is open.

bdcravens 6y ago

Open source IS prevalent, but most of it leads to closed source. A large majority of those employed as developers are using open source libraries and languages to build closed software.