If Certain Things Were not Open Source

Ford's mass production ideas had a great impact in the ways we produce things. Starting from car manufacturing, his production line model became a paradigm of the 20th century, and it will certainly be for the next coming centuries.

But imagine if his mass production model were proprietary? Do you think we would have as many cars, electronic devices, airplanes around the globe, as we have today? An idea engendered by a man, now became part of the human culture.

The same goes to telephony. If Bell’s patent hadn’t run out, and if telephony had become proprietary up to now, we would still be exchanging snail mails throughout the country. The telephone, such as the Ford production model, became part of an undeniable human heritage.

This is the rationale of the Open Source economy. Instead of concentrating resources to few people, everything is shared, so that human kind, as a culture and civilization can evolve. Isn’t it already time for Windows and Office Software become public, for the benefit of our civilization?

The European Anti-trust commission has imposed a one billion euro fine on Gates’ company, for its monopoly practices. Aren’t we losing precious time because of one company that dominates most of desktops on this planet?

Haven’t they become part of the human cyber-culture? Give Microsoft enough financial compensation and let’s make ISO standards out of Windows and Office Software, for we have more to come, by sharing a common architecture.

Sharing a same open architecture also will bring economic benefits. More companies will be able to develop products, with thousand more inventive ideas than Microsoft alone. More companies in the game, more jobs for everyone, more to choose from, resulting in more performing software because of competition.

Brief and to the Point:
In biological terms, the population with the widest variety of gene pool is more likely to survive. The same applies to the cyber world. The less dependent we are on a single OS, we will be more competitive as an information society.

If Certain Things Were not Open Source