Open-source software movement

A distinction between open source movement and open source license

is convenient.

As a movement, it retains all the principles about coders' and users' freedoms,

as stated by the the Free Software Foundation, but its scope is beyond

software programs, both reaching technical matters, involving digital

communication protocols and data storage formats, and extending the

implications of its priciples to different cultural areas.

Open source can be considered a still evolving cultural movement, much owing

to R.Stallman and E.Raymond, that is giving shape to new methods for

production and distribution of knowledge in the digital age, thanks to

an increasing number of contributors.

Outstanding realizations stemming from the 'open source' fertile concept are

- are openCourseware M.I.T. project; see the interview

     http://education.mit.edu/tep/11125/opencourse/

- the discussion about the implication of the open source principles to molecular biology:

 http://www.mikro.org/Events/OS/text/Eugene-Thacker_OSDNA.htm