Free Open Source Software (FOSS), when discussed, can lead to very polarized positions. There is a civil war among the open source community. Community-driven innovation has both the capacity to welcome creativity in an agile approach while also inviting diverse opinions, often oppositional. Paradoxically, the greatest strength of open source development is also its most formidable adversary. The most common appearance of such is when two FOSS-driven tools, built with the same objectives, are embraced not as equals, but as competitors. This can be seen with GIMP and Krita, which are graphical, illustrative tools that share many of the same features. Under close examination, each reveals strengths and weaknesses. Both take very different approaches to interface, workflow, and format. Yet each brings a value proposition which appeals to different artists. The trouble begins when these two “camps” single out the other as less valuable or less sophisticated. Instead of observing the use-cases for each tool, the respective communities exchange unpleasantries. Thankfully, this internal conflict does not extend to all FOSS.
Putting aside the sibling rivalry within, FOSS does have the potential to be the future of software development. It is flexible, as anyone can use the ideas (and code) to create new things at will. It is powerful, leveraging more versatile frameworks than commercial counterparts. It is adaptive, not seeking to reinvent good ideas but to build alongside them, using components that already provide irrefutable value. This is why Google’s map service took over GPS. It’s why Kubernetes has captured application providers, who can offer their service without massive redevelopment. “If you can’t beat them, join them,” as the proverb maintains.
It may seem tantamount to fantasy to suggest that FOSS will take the lead role for product development, but this can already be observed using content creators as an example. Artists, streamers, and video producers dominantly rely on FOSS tools for sharing broadcast needs, with Open Broadcast Software (OBS) being among the most popular. These tools are reaching a level of market permeation that could very well phase out much of the commercial product model. This shift could instantiate an “Information Age Part 2”, which I propose be dubbed “Community Information Age”.
