Difference between revisions of "Open Source as Infrastructure"

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A discussion on how we can develop and address various
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cultural and societal aspects using open source developments
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over the last decade as analogy. We look at the development of
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open source and discuss why large companies are committing
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resources to open source as it makes business economic sense.
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What it is to give respect not only to inventors but to the uncredited
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many, and how we can use this as an analogy to look at
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various aspects of a culture as information infrastructure.
  
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== CONTENTS ==
  
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Contents is a lead into to other pages that consolidate one theme.
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Each of these pages should go through a collaborative refinement over time.
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Some of the pages are more complete, where as some are very rudimentary and will need work and further discussion on the significance of the alluded themes in them.
  
== '''How Open source is making business economic sense''' ==
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[[ How Open source is making business economic sense ]]
  
Kiran's argument that business economic sense would consider open source as infrastructure started this discussion.
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[[ Infrastructure Discussion ]]
:http://jace.zaiki.in/2010/01/21/open-source-as-infrastructure
 
Some thoughts are documented by Ramkumar
 
=== What drives open source by Ramkumar ===
 
:http://artagnon.com/what-drives-open-source
 
:http://artagnon.com/modern-thoughts-on-open-source
 
=== Searl's  writing that support this ===
 
:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doc_Searls
 
:http://www.linuxjournal.com/content/understanding-infrastructure
 
"It is the generativity of Linux and the Net that makes both function as an essential yet poorly understood form of infrastructure: a kind that serves ecological as well as geological and architectural functions. As generative technologies, they support origination, production and reproduction to an extreme of fecundity that shames the most reproductive species." "I coined the expression 'markets are conversations' [for] I saw the LAN market change utterly, almost overnight, when the whole market shifted its core topic from pipes & protocols to services"
 
:http://www.linuxjournal.com/files/linuxjournal.com/ufiles/ubiquitize_infrastructure.JPG
 
Ubiquity creates infrastructure. Commoditization moves from Scarcity to Ubiquity.
 
  
== '''Infrastructure Discussion''' ==
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[[ ICT for Development and cost implications ]]
  
This discussion, we hope will not only substantiate the business economic sense of open source but also a general understanding of community infrastructure. In turn, we hope that understanding the why and how of open source may provide us insights into a culture of infrastructure development. Again in Serle's language: "It is wrong to assume, as we have been doing throughout history, that those primarily responsible for the foundations of civilization are its leading figures and institutions. While those leaders are certainly involved, full respect must be given to the invention, as well as the hard work, done by the uncredited many." Open source analogies could make this aspect tractable. "That hackability-support is what gives us infinite varieties of infrastructure. What we need now is to start understanding new forms of infrastructure on their own terms, and to understand more deeply what infrastructure has been all along." "Can we align infrastructure and generativity? Answering these kinds of questions requires examining topics at a depth one cannot plumb just with news coverage, or by framing queries with the parochial interests of categories and factions. We are in new territory here."
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[[ Open Source in International Market Economy ]]
  
'''Infrastructure:'''
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[[ The innovation excitement versus maintenance work ]]
* Like utilities, roads, etc; basic necessaties for everyday performance.
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[[ Culture of Infrastructure ]]
  
* Like decentralized activity that develops and sustains necessary depenencies.
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[[ Questions, Doubts and a To-do List ]]
  
* Like assumed as available and developed by a culture.
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[[ The Google discussion and Consolidation of Services ]]
  
'''Cost:'''
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[[ Open source and usability discussion ]]
  
Amortized cost for community in the large; (like tax)
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[[ Miscellaneous ]]
  
== '''ICT for Development and cost implications''' ==
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[[ Historical Incidences, etc ]]
  
=== ''' Case of computers for rural India''' ===
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[[ Reference Links and related references ]]
  
Kentaro who was head of Microsoft research India
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[[ Questioning these relationships ]]
: see: http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/events/indiasummerschool2010/toyama-tenmyths-june23.pdf
 
  
10 myths presentation of Kentaro elicits the role of infrastructure of various kinds that are essential for considering ICTD as solutions. The cost analysis compares the amortized cost of utilities versus the necessary cost of maintenance of the deployed computers in the villages. 40% for maintenance, 20% for training, 20% for distribution and installation, 15% for actual computers, connectivity and power. This indicates that almost 80% a typical ICTD project would maintenance, training and installation of computers/devices. Community capacity for these activities can not only reduce the cost by 50% but also nurture a healthy economy for the communities by channeling these expenses to local entrepreneurs.
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[[ Discussants, Contributors ]]
 
 
Bjorn and Frantisek on choosing open source ERP systems, in the book Open Source Eco-systems
 
refer to the role of open source choice as good for promoting indigenous technological development, and that a UK document on international development asks for a review of policies regarding procurement to carefully evaluate products with respect to such benefits. "Other reasons for the adoption of open source software for developing countries include avoiding being hostage to proprietary software, advancing knowledge more quickly and helping to set up an information economy.
 

Latest revision as of 02:38, 2 January 2011

A discussion on how we can develop and address various cultural and societal aspects using open source developments over the last decade as analogy. We look at the development of open source and discuss why large companies are committing resources to open source as it makes business economic sense. What it is to give respect not only to inventors but to the uncredited many, and how we can use this as an analogy to look at various aspects of a culture as information infrastructure.

CONTENTS

Contents is a lead into to other pages that consolidate one theme. Each of these pages should go through a collaborative refinement over time. Some of the pages are more complete, where as some are very rudimentary and will need work and further discussion on the significance of the alluded themes in them.

How Open source is making business economic sense

Infrastructure Discussion

ICT for Development and cost implications

Open Source in International Market Economy

The innovation excitement versus maintenance work

Culture of Infrastructure

Questions, Doubts and a To-do List

The Google discussion and Consolidation of Services

Open source and usability discussion

Miscellaneous

Historical Incidences, etc

Reference Links and related references

Questioning these relationships

Discussants, Contributors