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  • Author Author: spannerspencer
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2016 Year in Preview: The Future of Open Source

spannerspencer

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Of all our recent discussions about future tech predictions and how electronics platforms might evolve over the next 12 months., this is perhaps the most semantic.


After all, a platform, board or piece of software is either open source, or it isn't. There's not much in the way of middle ground, so the discussion almost seems void.


However, it's becoming increasingly common to find products and platforms that are mostly open source, but not entirely. Is this the way open source will go? Just keeping enough back for a company to control its own devices, and make it easier to survive the fluctuating markets? Or is that the path to the dark side?


Will Open Source Become More Open, or More Closed?


On a slightly lighter note, perhaps you'll agree with my feelings on open source, that as much as being a description of a platform's accessibility, it's also a social movement.


Some of us have a particular passion for the open source scene, and actively seek out new software and hardware not because it provides a specific function that a project needs, but because it's open source. Is that such a bad thing?


And let's say I want to join the open source scene, what's my next move? How can the scene grow and evolve and continue to encourage developers and creators to join its ranks when launching new software and hardware? What's next for open source?


Tell us all about the future of Open Source below (and what you'd like to see, as much as what we will see), and we'll reconvene this time next year to see how close we got to the mark.

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  • I see one major issue that will limit open source products and that is the security issue.

    Granted, you could pour over the schematics and code to ensure that there are no back doors, but the casual user will have neither the skill or capability to do this vetting.

     

    The second issue will be reliability and repair.  Assuming that all projects are not throw away items, where do you get them fixed if they break?

     

    I know that a lot of technical people do not consider these issues, but if open source is to grow, it needs to penetrate the mainstream market.

     

    So we will have to see if open source grows or contracts over the next year.

     

    DAB

  • in reply to DAB

    DAB wrote:

     

    I see one major issue that will limit open source products and that is the security issue.

    Granted, you could pour over the schematics and code to ensure that there are no back doors, but the casual user will have neither the skill or capability to do this vetting.

    The common wisdom is that if you're concerned about back doors and security issues, you're much better off with open source.  If you have a closed-source operating system, you have no idea whether there's malware built into the OS or added later.  For example, if you have a closed source smart phone you have no way of knowing if that phone is recording everything you say while it appears to be off, and then uploads your conversations to a server when you turn it on.  I'm not saying it does this, but closed source permits it.  With open source, someone will eventually find out that something squirrelly is going on and can dig into the code and find it, so the manufacturer wouldn't want to put such code into a device since they would eventually get caught.

     

    The big closed source scandal of 2015 was Volkwagen's emissions-cheating software.  They probably wouldn't have tried such a thing if they had to have open-source code.

    DAB wrote:

     

    The second issue will be reliability and repair.  Assuming that all projects are not throw away items, where do you get them fixed if they break?

    In the old days, electronic equipment usually came with schematics so you could take a radio or television to a local shop and the techs would be able to trace signals and repair your device.  Ditto for automobilies, where you had a complete repair manual and didn't have a bunch of functionality hidden inside computers.

     

    With closed source, if something goes wrong and the manufacturer has gone out of business, where do you start?

  • in reply to johnbeetem

    At the technical level I agree with you.

     

    Both routes have about the same level of risk.

     

    However, when you are dealing with the average consumer, they have little or no technical background and anything called Open source will scare them out of buying.

     

    Face it, advertising creates a following.  As soon as you say open source, people hear "vulnerable" and stop listening.

     

    DAB

  • in reply to DAB

    So I wonder how soon before a University or organized group of "respected" volunteers might come out with a Open Source Certification.  Something along the lines of having someone with understanding of code and backdoors/Trojan horses take a look at a version and say that it is "safe" to a certain extent.

     

    Perhaps an Open Source Market type of thing with members being able to look at various projects and give their check of safe approval.

  • in reply to DAB

    DAB wrote:

     

    However, when you are dealing with the average consumer, they have little or no technical background and anything called Open source will scare them out of buying.

    Most open-source products don't advertise that they're open source.  Android phones and tablets don't advertise the fact that Android is open source as is the Linux kernel that Android runs on top of.  Routers that run open-source software don't advertise it either.  Neither do television sets.

     

    There are loads of products based on open-source software plus proprietary extensions.  But you have to look at the fine print to find where you can download the source code, and often manufacturers don't even bother to do that.  Open source is a huge success in spite of being mostly invisible.

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  • in reply to DAB

    DAB wrote:

     

    However, when you are dealing with the average consumer, they have little or no technical background and anything called Open source will scare them out of buying.

    Most open-source products don't advertise that they're open source.  Android phones and tablets don't advertise the fact that Android is open source as is the Linux kernel that Android runs on top of.  Routers that run open-source software don't advertise it either.  Neither do television sets.

     

    There are loads of products based on open-source software plus proprietary extensions.  But you have to look at the fine print to find where you can download the source code, and often manufacturers don't even bother to do that.  Open source is a huge success in spite of being mostly invisible.

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