How is proprietary software open source?

Story: Open source can’t always be open to allTotal Replies: 1
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Inhibit

May 24, 2006
6:21 AM EDT
Up isn't down, and last I checked proprietary wasn't a bi-word for free software.

I don't so much have a problem with the idea of running a closed source specialty application on an open source platform. But, ah, that doesn't make you an "open source company".

Novell, Google, and to some extent IBM all release at least some source code, fund some projects, and in IBM's case, fund a wealth of documentation (which I've been reading, good stuff).

Even if they're doing this from self-interest, they're still contributing back something. I don't see where this company is doing even that much.

So no. I feel safe in saying, from the facts presented, that they're not an "open source company".
jdixon

May 24, 2006
6:37 AM EDT
> they're not an "open source company".

Agreed. From a quick glance at the article, they're selling a proprietary solution on an open source platform. Sorry, but that doesn't make you an open source company. It's better than a proprietary solution on a proprietary platform, and for certain applications it may be a necessary compromise (that's still an unproven assertion, but I'm willing to grant that it's possible), but it doesn't make you open source.

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