This document discusses the concept of "open" as it relates to open source software and open cloud computing. It explores different definitions of open, including the four freedoms that define open source. It also addresses questions around who benefits from openness and how business models have evolved around open source. The document encourages questioning assumptions and perspectives on openness.

1. Open is as Open does
Andrew Clay Shafer
OSCON Open Cloud Day 2014
@littleidea

2. @littleidea

3. this guy

5. disclaimer
a school of thought

6. buckle up
keep your arms and legs
inside the ride at all times
http://www.flickr.com/photos/spatch/4630771984/

7. here we go
• words about stuff
• more words
• open words
• cloud words
• question everything

8. open dialog

9. What is ‘Open’?

10. if (free == open) then ??
• The freedom to run the program as you wish, for any purpose (freedom 0).
• The freedom to study how the program works, and change it so it does your
computing as you wish (freedom 1). Access to the source code is a
precondition for this.
• The freedom to redistribute copies so you can help your neighbor (freedom 2).
• The freedom to distribute copies of your modified versions to others (freedom
3). By doing this you can give the whole community a chance to benefit from
your changes. Access to the source code is a precondition for this.

11. if (free == open) then ??
• (freedom 0) can you really run a cloud?
• really?
• (freedom 1) can you change what you don’t understand?
• (freedom 2) can your neighbor really run a cloud?
• (freedom 3) if you got this far, sure, why not…

12. –Wikipedia
“The concept of free sharing of technological information existed
long before computers. For example, cooking recipes have been
shared and remixed since the beginning of human culture.”

13. In 1911, independent automaker Henry Ford won a challenge to
the Selden patent. The result was that the Selden patent became
virtually worthless and a new association was formed. The new
association instituted a cross-licensing agreement among all US
auto manufacturers: although each company would develop
technology and file patents, these patents were shared openly and
without the exchange of money between all the manufacturers. By
the time the US entered World War 2, 92 Ford patents and 515
patents from other companies were being shared between these
manufacturers, without any exchange of money (or lawsuits).”

14. Open is relationships

15. Open is relative

16. Open Source is Big Business

17. who pays what? to whom?

18. Cloud, as we now know it, would not
have happened without ‘Open Source’

19. what even is cloud?
PaaS
IaaSSaaS
Public Private
Hybrid

20. not here to argue definitions

21. everyone
believes
their
perspective

22. everyone is
not wrong

23. everyone
has an
agenda

24. A Spectrum

25. closed code open code
closed intentions
open intentions
proprietary
with roadmap
occasionally
update a tar file
open code
open backlog
open wip
hmm

26. closed code open code
proprietary API
open standards
SQL
HTML
TCP/IP
driverslots of stuff
SQL
HTML
TCP/IP

27. closed governance open governance
proprietary API
open (defacto?) standards
Cisco IOS

28. private public
proprietary API
open (defacto?) standards

29. things to be aware of
• trust
• walled gardens
• mercantilism
• harvest

30. trust

31. walled gardens

32. mercantilism

33. harvest

34. words in the open cloud conversation that make me cringe
• standards
• committee
• vendor lockin
• meritocracy

35. standards & committees

36. vendor lockin
everyone’s favorite strawman

37. meritocracy
I don’t always use words to mask
oligarchy, but when I do, I prefer to
use the title of a dystopian novel.

38. questions to ask

39. what do you value?

40. start with ‘why’

41. are you a consumer?

42. are you a producer?

43. how will you define ‘open’?

44. how will your choices reflect your
values and definitions?

45. what is right?

46. what is right for you?

47. come at me
@littleideaOSCON Open Cloud Day 2014