Open Source Archives

Closed Source and Ethics: Good, Bad, Or Ugly?

by Jono Bacon | Jun 11, 2018 | Closed Source, Free Culture, Free Software, Open Source

Recently the news broke that Microsoft are acquiring GitHub. Effusive opinions flowed from all directions: some saw the acquisition as a sensible fit for Microsoft to better support developers, and some saw it as a tyrant getting their grubby fingers on open...

Microsoft and Open Source: A New Era?

by Jono Bacon | Nov 23, 2016 | Linux Foundation, Microsoft, Open Source

Last week the Linux Foundation announced Microsoft becoming a Platinum member. In the eyes of some, hell finally froze over. For many though, myself included, this was not an entirely surprising move. Microsoft are becoming an increasingly active member of the open...

Linux, Linus, Bradley, and Open Source Protection

by Jono Bacon | Aug 29, 2016 | Free Software, Linux, Open Source

Last week a bun-fight kicked off on the Linux kernel mailing list that led to some interesting questions about how and when we protect open source projects from bad actors. This also shone the light on some interesting community dynamics. The touchpaper was lit when...

Suggestions for Donating a Speaker fee

by Jono Bacon | Mar 25, 2016 | Free Culture, Free Software, Open Source, Uncategorized

In August I am speaking at Abstractions and the conference organizers very kindly offered to provide a speaker fee. Thing is, I have a job and so I don’t need the fee as much as some other folks in the world. As such, I would like to donate the speaker fee to an...

In Memory of Ian Murdock

by Jono Bacon | Dec 30, 2015 | Free Software, Open Source

Today we heard the sad news that Ian Murdock has passed away. He was 42. Although Ian and my paths crossed relatively infrequently, over the years we became friends. His tremendous work in Debian was an inspiration for my own work in Ubuntu. At times when I was unsure...

Supporting Software Freedom Conservancy

by Jono Bacon | Nov 25, 2015 | Free Software, Open Source

There are a number of important organizations in the Open Source and Free Software world that do tremendously valuable work. This includes groups such as the Linux Foundation, Free Software Foundation, Electronic Frontier Foundation, Apache Software Foundation, and...