[W/K] :: open source

  open source n. [common; also adj. `open-source'] Term coined in March
     1998 following the Mozilla release to describe software distributed in
     source under licenses guaranteeing anybody rights to freely use, modify,
     and redistribute, the code. The intent was to be able to sell the
     hackers' ways of doing software to industry and the mainstream by
     avoiding the negative connotations (to suits) of the term "{free
     software". For discussion of the follow-on tactics and their
     consequences, see the Open Source Initiative (http://www.opensource.org)
     site.
  
  

  open source
       
           A method and philosophy for software
          licensing and distribution designed to encourage use and
          improvement of software written by volunteers by ensuring that
          anyone can copy the source code and modify it freely.
       
          The term "open source" is now more widely used than the
          earlier term "{free software" (promoted by the Free Software
          Foundation) but has broadly the same meaning - free of
          distribution restrictions, not necessarily free of charge.
       
          There are various open source licenses available.
          Programmers can choose an appropriate license to use when
          distributing their programs.
       
          The Open Source Initiative promotes the Open Source
          Definition.
       
          The Cathedral and the Bazaar
         
       (http://www.tuxedo.org/~esr/writings/cathedral-bazaar/cathedral-bazaar.html).
          was a seminal paper describing the open source phenomenon.
       
          Open Sources - O'Reilly book with full text online
          (http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/opensources/book/perens.html).
       
          Articles from ZDNet
          (http://www.zdnet.com/pcmag/features/opensource/).
       
          (1999-12-29)