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Why Google funds open source development?

Posted by mariuz on · 7 comments
http://www.desdeamericaconamor.org/blog/en/node/144; By qgil's blog 		Mail this story
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This is the question I've asked to the GNOME's marketing-list this morning. 31 minutes later (midnight in Mountain View - California) we got the response from Chris DiBona, Open Source Program Manager at Google Inc. and responsible of Google's Summer of Code:

Hi.

1) We like open source.


2) We like open source people, including Gnomers (gnomites? Gnomes?)
3) We use open source.
4) We are open source people.
5) We felt open source needs a little fresh blood now and then. *
6) We felt that there were a lot of students who would work on open
source, if they didn't have to flip burgers.

Hence: Summer of Code.

Chris (Google Open Source Programs Manager)

* not that I mind running into Nat and Miguel at every damn conference


I go to. :-)

I believe Chris is right. Although like any adept of conspiracy theories related to big corporations, I believe also that there is room for a (sub)conscious 7) that has a place in Google's long term strategy. Sounds childish? I'll try to remember this answer in 5 years time. :)

Anyway, I wish all the corporations and public institutions would believe/invest in open source as Google does and would come up with very good ideas such as the Summer of Code. So thank you for this quick and concise answer, and thank you for the Summer of Code itself.

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Comments (7)

mariuz Story submitter ·
it's the open source stupid They can buy 100.000 servers and install whatever they want (no restrictions) : Debian, Fedora ... They do have smart people who know how to use open source tools (linux,firefox,gnome,apache,java,python,mysql...) You know the words:"Sky (google.moon) is the limit" No pesky licenses , no serials ,They are really free of Microsoft (In the core business)
devnet ·
http://www.denverlinux.com/myfirstlinux/google.html

We're still waiting on Google to port most of their apps to Linux. They use it daily to power 90% of their company yet they only port a few apps for use in an OS different from XP. Odd eh?
tuxchick ·
I think google has the potential to become the Real Evil Empire, because they are pioneering ways to collect, store, and collate data from diverse sources, and build extensive data profiles on individuals without their knowledge or consent. It was bad enough before with Lexis-Nexus and other data-mining companies- Google is kicking it into high gear. Welcome to our shiny new goldfish bowl.
SFN ·
"Welcome to our shiny new goldfish bowl."

Testify, sister.

I looked up my house on Google Earth. Yup, there it is. And there's my pool. And...hey...there's somebody in it. Fortunately the pic is too blurry to see who it is. Good thing too, considering the choice of swim attire my wife and I prefer. Of course, that's just because they haven't got the really cool zoom lens on the GoogleHubble Scope yet.
jimf ·
Tuxchick, I've been saying that for a long time. I personally don't trust anyting they do now, and, won't use anything besides the search engine.... Not much choice with that.
bstadil ·
won't use anything besides the search engine.... Not much choice with that

That is not really true. There is a lot of Search start-up due to Google's success and some of them are quite good. Try http://www.exalead.com/search

The best way to try alternatives is to go to Mozdev.org and look at the add on to the search box. Moz comes with Jeeves, and Google but you can add lot's of others mostly specialized.

jimf ·
True bstadil... I got to look up how to add those in Opera

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