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OSI Launches Certification Program With Logo

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the four-years-is-a-long-time dept.

Lao-Tzu writes "The Open Source Initiative has launched an OSI certification program. The OSI has trademarked a logo looking like a keyhole for their use as a graphical certification mark. Python.org is the first website to carry the new OSI logo." One might ask what took so long.

6 of 180 comments (clear)

  1. Simpleface by rbeattie · · Score: 3, Interesting


    Simpleface.org is an organization trying to do a similiar thing for OSS User Interface design. We're developing a set of graphical design patterns in an open and collaborative way (using the website, it's a wiki) and once we have a decent set we're going to roll them into a guide and try to get OSS projects to use them. Those projects that comply with guidelines get to use the Simpleface logo.

    I think this type of certification is a good thing for OSS projects. It provides everyone with the knowledge that some sort of consistency has been achieved. For OSI, it's consistency of the Open Source definition. For Simpleface, it's consistency of design and human computer interaction.

    -Russ

    --
    Me
  2. Public domain? by ortholattice · · Score: 2, Interesting

    An omission from their approved license list is the most liberal "license" of all, which is "released unconditionally to public domain".

  3. One thing I've always wanted to see from the OSI by Nailer · · Score: 5, Interesting
    Is the following slogan:

    Open Source built the Internet

    Because it did. All major server side software on the internet (major meaning leads its market), an Open Source application (as, of course, defined by the Open Source Definition) leads.
    • Web Servers - Apache
    • Proxy Servers - Squid
    • Email Servers - Sendmail
    • DNS - BIND9
    • FTP - WuFTPd
    • Even OpenSSH is more prominent than the proprietary alternatives (though from an end user point of view that's not really much of an argument).
    Most people have absolutely no idea this is the case. They don't realize that every time they connect to the internet they're relying on the root nameservers, all of which use Open Source software on Unix, to do their jobs. And those Open Source systems are rising to the challenge. There are people out there - including many journalist (Adam Turner from The Age is a good example if you live in Australia) who literally think proprietary Microsoft software is fundamenttal to the operation of the internet - even more so than OSS applications.

  4. Elements of the Design by WEFUNK · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I know I'm risking some karma by sort of stating the obvious, but I like how the design is very simple yet incorporates the following important elements:

    1. "O" for Open Source
    2. "C" for Certification
    3. A "Keyhole" for Security

    The "Keyhole" element also looks a little like a stylized person so I suppose it also represents the human element of the development process (community, people power) as well as the personal/functional aspects of software (built for users, usability, productivity).

    I'd also interpret the Green colour as reflecting the "natural"/"friendly" aspects of the open source process.

    Just my initial reactions, and obviously you can get carried away (it's the "product" not the logo that really counts), but I think OSI's smart to have a consistent brand for certification and that their logo choice is fairly strong and representative of the "product". I like the new logo, the only nitpicks - I'm still not sure about the font choices (OSI certified, TM) and the edges/lines/contrast seem a little too blurred.

    --
    My next sig will be ready soon, but friends can beat the rush!
  5. How about a free software logo? by Radagast · · Score: 2, Interesting

    For those of us who prefer not to use the term "Open Source", how about something similar from the FSF? The FSF already maintains a list of licenses that it considers free software licenses, after all, and it'd be nice to be able to show that your software is truly free, as well as supporting the FSF (make the graphic link to the Free Software Definition, perhaps).

    --
    --Joakim Ziegler
  6. YAPHB-device by andkaha · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Yet another pointy haired boss device.

    Now I can tell my PHB it's ok for me to use Python for development at work. It's certified, with a logo even. That's all he needs to know.

    Perl was ok a long time ago, it has had that dot-com domain name for a while now. I didn't even have to argue to be able to use it.

    Seriously, is this certification anything else than a PHB pacifier?

    --
    It's 11pm, do you know what your deamons are up to?