Key themes from Wednesday at OSCON in Austin, Texas, where the global open source community has assembled this week “to celebrate achievements, spark new ideas, and map the future of open computing through collaboration and education:”
- Community and collaboration have been inherent in the DNA of open source since it was formed, and that remains. As an organization focused on collaboration, it is impressive to see the vigorous commitment to these values. It is clear that community and collaboration continue to be the distinguishing characteristics of open source (making it a close cousin of standardization). The interest and need for them moving forward are increasing, even in the day-to-day operations and organizing principles of the organizations that are more fully embracing open source.
- The open source community is determined to bring even more of the world’s voices into conversation to inform development. Are we as open and collaborative as we could be? In what ways are we shutting people out? Whose perspectives are not being reflected? What requirements are we not hearing? What do we not even know that we don’t know? Expanding and embracing the notion of inclusion were the steady drumbeat of conversation throughout keynotes, targeted breakout sessions and even the
exhibit hall today. - Open source as a collaborative tool continues to evolve, and the dynamic effects of that on the open source community remains to be seen. Communications skills among developers are growing more and more important. Integration, auditing and respect for licensing details are increasingly critical elements in open source success.
- Open source can and will Advance Technology for Humanity.
The presence and sponsorship of major corporate participants in the event make up just one indication of how clearly open source is changing the ways that the world works and lives together. And humanitarian mission is clearly a strong undercurrent of the open source movement.
