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The closest thing to an authority on what is open source is OSI. Open Source doesn't have a fuzzy definition, except where people would like the definition wide
by indymike 4y ago
The closest thing to an authority on what is open source is OSI. Open Source doesn't have a fuzzy definition, except where people would like the definition widened to fit their marketing needs.
- judge2020 4y agoWhy do we need an authority? When I first heard 'open source' I thought it meant that the source code was open access, I would imagine most people don't put much more thought into it until they see one of these debates on use of the term.
- cxr 4y agoPeople incorrectly using terms they've heard other people throw around is not a new phenomenon. So your "When I first heard [$TECHNICAL_TERM_FOO] I thought it meant [$BLAH]" is not a compelling argument. The fact that people who are uneducated about something don't understand it very well is not a surprising outcome. It is the expected outcome. Lots of people think that "public domain" means something other than what it does mean. (Coincidentally, the most common misunderstanding arises from an assumption that it means something very similar to if not exactly the same as what you thought of "open source".) And yet, its actual definition remains in effect.