fighting forks

Fighting ForksWhen Open Source Disappears into the Pentagon

and What We Can Do About It

Gunnar HelleksonChief Technology Strategist, Red Hat US Public Sectorgunnar.hellekson@redhat.com · 202 507 9027 · @ghelleks

3 August 2010

Licenses keep open software open.That's all we have.

Licenses keep open software open.That's all we have.

Our process keeps software closed.The world conspires against us.

Licenses keep open software open.That's all we have.

Tivo-ization.Which is a fancy word for free-riding.

Licenses keep open software open.That's all we have.

Secret Open Source.If my lawyer finds out I used GPL code, he's gonna kill me.

Licenses keep open software open.That's all we have.

Tweakers.I just added this one teeny-weeny patch...

Licenses keep open software open.That's all we have.

Government is Government.No code distribution requirements: it's all Government.

Licenses keep open software open.That's all we have.

Government Forges.Roach motels for code.

Licenses keep open software open.That's all we have.Security.

DSS > GPL. And don't forget ITAR.

Licenses keep open software open.That's all we have.

What can we do?Hack the process. Get our act together.

Design for evolution.Open a dialogue between inside and outside perspectives. Invite different levels of participation. Develop both public and private community spaces.Focus on value.Combine familiarity and excitement.Create a rhythm for the community.

Etienne Wenger, Richard McDermott, and William M. SnyderCultivating Communities of Practice, 1st ed. (Harvard Business Press, 2002)

What do we want from the process?Let's ask an expert.

Licenses keep open software open.That's all we have.

Design for EvolutionInclude upstream contributions in contracts.

Invite different levels of participation. Operationalize Dave Wheeler and Dan Risacher.

Develop public and private spaces.Forges are for secrets. Unclassified work should be public.

Open a dialogue.Talk to your PMs, your lawyers, your engineers.

Focus on value.Less talking. More doing. Perfect is the enemy of the good, etc.

“Democracy is the enemy of useful work.” - Clay Johnson

Combine familiarity with excitement.Tools are important.

Create a rythym.Stay vocal and stay visible.

Do these three things.

Understand the contribution process in your patch. Make sure everyone knows they can come to you with questions. We have your back.

Shout your success.We're winning every day, but nobody knows about it.

Find one patch, one script you can free.These little guys are whithering. Get them out into the sunlight, where they can grow.

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