Open Source Software Is A Complex Game

Open Source Software (OSS) defenders are angry. Consumers are confused. Lawsuits are increasing, but aren't the answer. The development, marketing and usage of Open Source Software has become more complex over the past several years. I'm an advocate of OSS, but even I have fallen victim to laziness and lack of education when it comes to following the rules of use. This is such an enormous issue, and I will be the first to admit I don't know all the legalities, but wanted to share my experiences using OSS.

Why Open Source Software Is Appealing
I could start a list that would go on for several pages as to why OSS is appealing to me. Many advocates like the freedom OSS gives them. The ability to use, and modify software, to work how they want. There are die hards and casual users. And that really presents the problem. The appeal of free software overshadows the rules you are supposed to follow.

Why is Open Source Software Freely Available?
A question I get asked a lot is why anyone would develop free software. My first answer is, it really isn't free, it's just freely available. I'm giving you, the user, the right to use my software. But you don't own it, and there are some restrictions.

Perpetuating The Free Software Misconception
Some time back I was attending a small presentation with other entrepreneurs. One well respected person got up in front of the group and presented their view on how to get bootstrap businesses off the ground fast. The first thing they recommended was to outsource all the software development to a third world country, because it's basically a commodity. The other was to use open source software, because it's free.

Wrong on both accounts. Software development isn't a commodity, and that view, by someone building a technology company, shows me they have little respect for what they are selling. And I in turn could not respect a company who thought so little of the people building your product.

The other issue is that open source software is free. The fact of the matter is most OSS have a restriction on commercial use. Yes, that would be using OSS to run your business website could potentially violating the licensing of the software.

Why I Like Open Source Software
I'm all about reuse and not re-inventing the wheel. In software development, if I can use some existing code, follow it's usage rules, I can get things done faster. Open source software sometimes gives me the base for building something. I like the ability to add, enhance or remove features that I need to solve a problem. And that means cheaper for the customer. But I really have to try hard to follow the rules of use because I sometimes overlook the importance of following them.

Giving back to the community is another aspect of OSS that is commonly overlooked. If we always take and never give back, we have only ourselves to blame when projects fail, or contributors never get around to implementing new features. The greatest support you can give a piece of OSS is contributing to the project. That's a great form of payment. Money is good too in the form of donations, but most projects just need fingers on the keyboard.

There are a number of OSS licensing, distribution and ownership rules. Too many, and too complex to cover in this post, but I will follow up with some pointers, ideas, and best use for typical open source software.

To learn more about OSS and how you can keep from running into potential problems, visit this Wikipedia article.

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Person Of The Year: The Web API

No sense in waiting a few more weeks to announce this, I don't think two more weeks is going to change the outcome. Votes are in, tallied and tabulated, and hands down the Person of the Year is? The Web API.

Web API's are the hottest thing on the Internet and in Web development. Application like Twitter and Facebook provide third party applications access to their data through API's. Companies like Kynetx use Web API's to enhance the web experience. Applications like Foursquare not only have their own API, but use API's to connect Facebook, Twitter and other services.

These web accessible data points are becoming more and more common, and key parts of application development. Web parts make getting products out the door faster with less development time. As platforms move their storage and web servers to the cloud, the easier it is to compete on global level with fewer resources.

However there are a few drawbacks. And for the me the biggest of these is the dependence on another companies ability to stay online. Take for example applications that rely solely on the Twitter API. If that API goes down, you application is dead in the water. This is a risk yo take when relying on these web parts. But in the end, the risks generally outweigh the risk, especially if your application is non-mission critical.

Bottom line is, Web API's are here to stay, and are all the rage. But more importantly, they are a useful integral part of the web landscape.

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No Development For Old Men

I started listening to a new podcast today, well new for me, called This Developers Life. And aparently I started listening at a great time. The podcast is hosted by Rob Conery and Scott Hanselman. The podcast is a discussion on things technical and not so technical. Great idea, been wanting to do something like this for a while.

Last weeks show Scott made a comment how developers who can't keep up with fast changing technologies, give up and go into management. At first I thought what big balls this guy has to make a statement like that. He was basically saying that if you can't keep up you're a loser, and the only thing left for you is management.

The rest of the day was spent reflecting on my career, the choices I've made, and the direction I am heading. I also wondered if I had made that choice; give up trying and default to management.

The movie title No Country for Old Men popped into my head at one point. I some times feel like that. What to do with old developers. I remembered back to my days during Y2K, and the number of Cobol programmers brought out of moth balls to help remediate code written 30 years ago. For a short while they felt useful again. It must have been exciting to be back in the game.

I digress. Back to Scotts comments, Rob's thoughts, and a follow up interview with a listener named Mark Freedman. I've read Marks blog off and on, and his story is about a technology Manager trying to get back into development, and the struggles he is facing. It's a great read, and I appreciate his openness.

Honestly, I've tried to spend more time in management, and less time coding. It wasn't that I couldn't, or wouldn't, keep up with the fast pace of changing development technologies. My choice, I thought, was for the need to share my experience, mentor other developers, and work on the big picture of projects. I have also used the "I can't keep up" excuse several times, as a way to express my displeasure of development. I think I was really just copping out.

So how do Old Developers get a Country? Well, just because I'm older, and not as fast, doesn't mean I need to shelve my development efforts. Scott and Mark both talk about going solo, forging ahead on your own, and filling multiple roles; developer, manager, entrepreneure. I've freelanced for some time, and I know the grass isn't greener on that side either. That path has it's own unique issues. But the trade off was I get to code, get to manage, and get to innovate. The best of all worlds. I think that could be a great Country for Old Developers, like me.

I'm amazed how much one podcast has affected me. Great job Rob and Scott (and Mark too). I love it when someone makes me think about my own situation, and causes true change. Working on my career plan, which I haven't updated or added to in a long time.

(Image from Firstshowing.net)

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Google eBook Store - The Good And Bad

Today I received a notice that Google had opened their long awaited digital book store. I was excited to see what they had to offer, so I promptly loaded up the site. The interface Googlesque; clean and simple.

Android, iPad/iPhone/iTouch, the Web, the Nook and something from Sony. Having all the mobile devices is great. Sorry BlackBerry, 2 inch screens aren't really conducive to reading. But I'm sure at some point you'll get an app too.

I ran through all the new releases, categories, and searched for books. There's a pretty decent selection, and I'm sure most people will find what they want in the store.

My big problem is the books still cost almost retail price. I'm still amazed we are paying physical book prices. But that's a post for another day.

There is nothing over the top or game changing here. I'm surprised Google built a "Me Too" product. Or will this be a 3 year long beta product adding small additions as they go.

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Temple Square Lights

I walked by the Salt Lake Temple this evening just as the Christmas lights came on, so I snapped a few pics on my iPhone 4. I can tell when looking at these full screen that I take crappy photos on the iPhone.

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