Free software: How does it
work?
European Broadcasting Union Seminar
Geneva,
October 1, 2007
Rishab Aiyer Ghosh (ghosh@merit.unu.edu)
United Nations University / MERIT, Maastricht
(c) 2007 Rishab Aiyer Ghosh - Licensed under Creative Commons cc-by-sa 1

Software: the object
10101010101111100101001110101010010101011
10001110101010010101011101010101010111110
01000111010101001010101110101010101011111
00101001110101010010101011101010101010111
11001010011101010100101010111010101010101
11110010100111010101001010101110101010101
01111100101001110101010010101011101010101
01011111001010011101010100101010111010101
01010111110010100111010101001010101110101
01010101111100101001110101010010101011101
01010101011111001010011101010100101010111
01010101010111110010100111010101001010101
11010101010101111100101001110101010010111
(c) 2007 Rishab Aiyer Ghosh - Licensed under Creative Commons cc-by-sa 2

Software: source code
// “hello world” program
// use standard input-output functions
#include <stdio.h>
void main () {
printf(“hello, world!\\n”); // print it!
}
(c) 2007 Rishab Aiyer Ghosh - Licensed under Creative Commons cc-by-sa 3

Software: functionality
hello world!
(c) 2007 Rishab Aiyer Ghosh - Licensed under Creative Commons cc-by-sa 4

Free/Libre/Open Source Software
Software which users have freedoms to:
Use (the software's functionality)
Study (the software source code)
Distribute (at any or no price)
Change (and distribute changes)
(c) 2007 Rishab Aiyer Ghosh - Licensed under Creative Commons cc-by-sa 5

Free as in Freedom
Free software
=
Libre software
=
Open source software
(different terms for the same software)
(c) 2007 Rishab Aiyer Ghosh - Licensed under Creative Commons cc-by-sa 6

Free as in Freedom
Proprietary software
=
closed source
software without the freedom to use,
study, share and modify
(c) 2007 Rishab Aiyer Ghosh - Licensed under Creative Commons cc-by-sa 7

Source vs Standards
Open standards: easily implemented by any
software, without legal, technical, financial
barriers
(c) 2007 Rishab Aiyer Ghosh - Licensed under Creative Commons cc-by-sa 8

Source vs Standards
Open standards: easily implemented by any
software, without legal, technical, financial
barriers
Other standards (not open!): proprietary
standards, or standards which different
producers may be prevented from
implementing for legal, technical or financial
reasons
(c) 2007 Rishab Aiyer Ghosh - Licensed under Creative Commons cc-by-sa 9

Source vs Standards
Open source uses open standards
(c) 2007 Rishab Aiyer Ghosh - Licensed under Creative Commons cc-by-sa 10

Source vs Standards
Open source uses open standards
Proprietary software often uses closed
standards
(c) 2007 Rishab Aiyer Ghosh - Licensed under Creative Commons cc-by-sa 11

Source vs Standards
Open source uses open standards
Proprietary software often uses closed
standards
Open standards limit vendor lock-in
(c) 2007 Rishab Aiyer Ghosh - Licensed under Creative Commons cc-by-sa 12

Source vs Standards
Open source uses open standards
Proprietary software often uses closed
standards
Open standards limit vendor lock-in
HTML – any software can read the web
SMTP – any software can send email
(c) 2007 Rishab Aiyer Ghosh - Licensed under Creative Commons cc-by-sa 13

Source vs Standards
Open source uses open standards
Proprietary software often uses closed
standards
Open standards limit vendor lock-in
HTML – any software can read the web
SMTP – any software can send email
DOC – works best/only with Microsoft
(c) 2007 Rishab Aiyer Ghosh - Licensed under Creative Commons cc-by-sa 14

Source vs Standards
Closed standards and broadcasting:
Stream only in Windows Media
=
force your audience to pay Microsoft
(c) 2007 Rishab Aiyer Ghosh - Licensed under Creative Commons cc-by-sa 15

+
+ users have control
(c) 2007 Rishab Aiyer Ghosh - Licensed under Creative Commons cc-by-sa 16

+
+ users have control
+ adapt software to your needs
(c) 2007 Rishab Aiyer Ghosh - Licensed under Creative Commons cc-by-sa 17

+
+ users have control
+ adapt software to your needs
+ no need to change hardware
(c) 2007 Rishab Aiyer Ghosh - Licensed under Creative Commons cc-by-sa 18

+
+ users have control
+ adapt software to your needs
+ no need to change hardware
+ decide when and how to change
(c) 2007 Rishab Aiyer Ghosh - Licensed under Creative Commons cc-by-sa 19

+
+ users have control
+ adapt software to your needs
+ no need to change hardware
+ decide when and how to change
+ no forced software upgrades
(c) 2007 Rishab Aiyer Ghosh - Licensed under Creative Commons cc-by-sa 20

+
+ users have control
+ adapt software to your needs
+ no need to change hardware
+ decide when and how to change
+ no forced software upgrades
+ no vendor lock-in
(c) 2007 Rishab Aiyer Ghosh - Licensed under Creative Commons cc-by-sa 21

+
+ users have control
+ reduce costs
(c) 2007 Rishab Aiyer Ghosh - Licensed under Creative Commons cc-by-sa 22

+
+ users have control
+ reduce costs
+ in-house support (if skills exist)
(c) 2007 Rishab Aiyer Ghosh - Licensed under Creative Commons cc-by-sa 23

+
+ users have control
+ reduce costs
+ in-house support (if skills exist)
+ external support of your choice
(c) 2007 Rishab Aiyer Ghosh - Licensed under Creative Commons cc-by-sa 24

+
+ users have control
+ reduce costs
+ in-house support (if skills exist)
+ external support of your choice
+ adaptable to cheaper hardware
(c) 2007 Rishab Aiyer Ghosh - Licensed under Creative Commons cc-by-sa 25

+
+ users have control
+ reduce costs
+ in-house support (if skills exist)
+ external support of your choice
+ adaptable to cheaper hardware
+ can reduce running costs
(c) 2007 Rishab Aiyer Ghosh - Licensed under Creative Commons cc-by-sa 26

+
+ users have control
+ reduce costs
+ open standards
(c) 2007 Rishab Aiyer Ghosh - Licensed under Creative Commons cc-by-sa 27

+
+ users have control
+ reduce costs
+ open standards
+ no proprietary standards
(c) 2007 Rishab Aiyer Ghosh - Licensed under Creative Commons cc-by-sa 28

+
+ users have control
+ reduce costs
+ open standards
+ no proprietary standards
+ give your customers choice
(c) 2007 Rishab Aiyer Ghosh - Licensed under Creative Commons cc-by-sa 29

+
+ users have control
+ reduce costs
+ open standards
+ no proprietary standards
+ give your customers choice
+ increased interoperability
(c) 2007 Rishab Aiyer Ghosh - Licensed under Creative Commons cc-by-sa 30

+
+ users have control
+ reduce costs
+ open standards
+ sustainability
(c) 2007 Rishab Aiyer Ghosh - Licensed under Creative Commons cc-by-sa 31

+
+ users have control
+ reduce costs
+ open standards
+ sustainability
+ code forever accessible
(c) 2007 Rishab Aiyer Ghosh - Licensed under Creative Commons cc-by-sa 32

+
+ users have control
+ reduce costs
+ open standards
+ sustainability
+ skills development
(c) 2007 Rishab Aiyer Ghosh - Licensed under Creative Commons cc-by-sa 33

+
+ users have control
+ reduce costs
+ open standards
+ sustainability
+ skills development
+ #1 reason for developers
(c) 2007 Rishab Aiyer Ghosh - Licensed under Creative Commons cc-by-sa 34

+
+ users have control
+ reduce costs
+ open standards
+ sustainability
+ skills development
+ #1 reason for developers
+ FLOSS is a training environment
(c) 2007 Rishab Aiyer Ghosh - Licensed under Creative Commons cc-by-sa 35

+
+ users have control
+ reduce costs
+ open standards
+ sustainability
+ skills development
+ security and quality
(c) 2007 Rishab Aiyer Ghosh - Licensed under Creative Commons cc-by-sa 36

–/?
– smaller installed base
(c) 2007 Rishab Aiyer Ghosh - Licensed under Creative Commons cc-by-sa 37

–/?
– smaller installed base
– fewer users = less support
(c) 2007 Rishab Aiyer Ghosh - Licensed under Creative Commons cc-by-sa 38

–/?
– smaller installed base
– fewer users = less support
? but support increasing with users
(c) 2007 Rishab Aiyer Ghosh - Licensed under Creative Commons cc-by-sa 39

–/?
– smaller installed base
– fewer users = less support
? but support increasing with users
+ niche areas have a lot of support
(c) 2007 Rishab Aiyer Ghosh - Licensed under Creative Commons cc-by-sa 40

–/?
– smaller installed base
– compatibility with proprietary apps
(c) 2007 Rishab Aiyer Ghosh - Licensed under Creative Commons cc-by-sa 41

–/?
– smaller installed base
– compatibility with proprietary apps
? prop vendors want to lock you in
(c) 2007 Rishab Aiyer Ghosh - Licensed under Creative Commons cc-by-sa 42

–/?
– smaller installed base
– compatibility with proprietary apps
– who can i blame?
(c) 2007 Rishab Aiyer Ghosh - Licensed under Creative Commons cc-by-sa 43

–/?
– smaller installed base
– compatibility with proprietary apps
– who can i blame?
? not your proprietary vendor!
? service contracts for liability
(c) 2007 Rishab Aiyer Ghosh - Licensed under Creative Commons cc-by-sa 44

–/?
– smaller installed base
– compatibility with proprietary apps
– who can i blame?
– legal issues?
? have you read your prop. licence?
(c) 2007 Rishab Aiyer Ghosh - Licensed under Creative Commons cc-by-sa 45

–/?
– smaller installed base
– compatibility with proprietary apps
– who can i blame?
– legal issues?
– ease of use
(c) 2007 Rishab Aiyer Ghosh - Licensed under Creative Commons cc-by-sa 46

–/?
– smaller installed base
– compatibility with proprietary apps
– who can i blame?
– legal issues?
– ease of use
– mainly for end-user apps
+ rapidly improving
(c) 2007 Rishab Aiyer Ghosh - Licensed under Creative Commons cc-by-sa 47

–/?
– smaller installed base
– compatibility with proprietary apps
– who can i blame?
– legal issues?
– ease of use
(c) 2007 Rishab Aiyer Ghosh - Licensed under Creative Commons cc-by-sa 48

Outlook
< 20% of software is bought as a product
●
Rest of software – custom, in-house – has
●
an economics like open source
“FLOSS-related” services could account for
●
>30% of IT market by 2010
(c) 2007 Rishab Aiyer Ghosh - Licensed under Creative Commons cc-by-sa 49

Thank you
Rishab Aiyer Ghosh
ghosh@merit.unu.edu
UNU-MERIT / FLOSS Project
European Commission report:
www.flossimpact.eu
(c) 2007 Rishab Aiyer Ghosh - Licensed under Creative Commons cc-by-sa 50