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Top Ten Open Source Innovators

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the leading-the-pack dept.

42istheanswer writes "Open source is so much more than Linux these days. A lot is happening beyond the popular operating system. Open source models are thriving in CRM (SugarCRM), messaging (Scalix), and systems management (Zenoss). Datamation has identified ten leading commercial open-source innovators and the projects they are working on in their article, Ten Leading Open Source Innovators."

8 of 152 comments (clear)

  1. Gnus by Pikoro · · Score: 5, Funny

    so Some GNUz, IS good gnuz....

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    "Freedom in the USA is not the ability to do what you want. It is the ability to stop others from doing what THEY want"
  2. huh? by rs79 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    "Open source is so much more than Linux these days"

    Maybe I'm just old and cranky but I find this really annoying given that my own involvement with what is now called Open Source predates Linux by 15 years.

    If it'd said unix I think it would have been more meaningfull. Linux schminux.

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  3. Venture Funding == Innovation (?!?) by Wugger · · Score: 5, Insightful

    What do all these stories of open source "innovation" have in common? They all include prominent mention of how much venture money the companies have raised. I can only assume this publication is Straight Out of Silicon Valley (tm).

  4. Where's Bram Cohen? by TheSHAD0W · · Score: 5, Interesting

    If you're talking leading INNOVATORS, Bram Cohen and BitTorrent are notably absent. BitTorrent is IMO absolutely the most novel and fascinating idea that was released straight to open-source. Their funding also ranks up with the other people mentioned. So why were they omitted?

  5. Calling SugarCRM "open source" is generous by kimvette · · Score: 5, Informative

    http://www.vtiger.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=22

    Their original SPL was basically a search and replace of "Mozilla" in the MPL, replacing "Mozilla" with "Sugar"

    After another group *gasp* dared exercise their rights provided for in the SPL(MPL), they threatened to sue, pissed and moaned, complained because trademarks were removed (Uh, They HAD to remove trademarks for redistribution of a modifief variant to be compliant with your license!)

    Since then SugarCRM has NOT been open source; it has been shared source. Here's why:

    You cannot derive a new product from SugarCRM; for all practical purposes, the "license" forbids it.

    The license allows you to view and modify the source, and extend to it
    If you contribute code to the core project, you give all ownership and credits to SugarCRM. OK, fine, I can buy that you give ownership to them, but you should be able to be credited in your code contribution.

    If you ever subscribe to the Pro/Enterprise version of Sugar, you agree to waive your rights to use the "Open Source" edition ever again, and are "forbidden" to take your Pro/Enterprise database and import the data into the "Open Source" edition.

    I hardly consider that to be open source, or to be in the spirit of open source.

    If you need a CRM, I highly recommend vTiger over SugarCRM.

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  6. Not one of them has come close to RMS. by anwyn · · Score: 5, Insightful
    Not one of these organization has made 1/10th the contribution of RMS.
    • RMS created gcc. Without gcc there would be no LINUX or BSD. Most of the utilities in the article would be impossible without gcc. Who was the original author of gcc? RMS.
    • RMS created most of the GNU utilities without which most of GNU lINUX and BSD would be worthless.
    • RMS was the first to proclaim the need for a free OS platform. He was the first to try to make such a platform a practical reality. (GNU).
    • RMS created the GPL.
    There is no one who has made contributions to the Free software and/or "open source" software communities equal to that of RMS.

    This includes LINUS.

    I realize that RMS can be idealogical, stubborn and hard to deal with, but the fact remains that in spite of this, or perhaps because of it, no one has made as great a contribution.

  7. Re:Real OSS = Darwin In Action by turbidostato · · Score: 5, Interesting

    "Translation: if you're trying to make money off it, it's not Open Source."

    Retranslation: if you try to bastardize the expression "open source" so you can use it as a buzzword atracting people to your old privative bussiness model, then no, to my eyes it's not open source no matter the distribution license of the bare source code.

  8. Re:Open Source != Free Software by AlXtreme · · Score: 5, Insightful
    I'm afraid you are misinformed, and those that moderated you up are misinformed too. SugarCRM certainly doesn't conform to the OSI definition (redistribution of modified versions), and therefore isn't "open source software".


    It is a wide misconception that open source != free software. In a sense, they are two movements that both emphasize different sides of the same coin. There is a problem with the term "open source" being used as a marketing tool for products not adhering to the proper definition, but the same could apply for the term "free software".

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