[IAEP] The question of open source, by Rahul De, Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore

[Sean DALY]

http://www.livemint.com/2009/10/29231117/The-question-of-open-source.html

"Free software embodies the values of learning, sharing and open
collaboration that have been the basis of knowledge creation
throughout history. In Kerala, hundreds of thousands of children are
not only learning with high-quality software but also are indirectly
imbibing the values of sharing and openness that the software is built
with. In this manner, free software promotes the highest values of
human culture: that the hard work put into creating hundreds of
millions of lines of software code is not meant entirely for private
profit but for the benefit of people around the world."

"I return to the question I started with: Should we have access to the
source code of software that we use? The answer is an unequivocal:
yes, we should. Free and open source software represents openness,
sharing, and a culture of learning and enquiry. It invites us to
understand, build upon, and advance the software tools needed for our
community. It presents an infinite potential for innovation and
discovery, and a challenge to our youth to stand on the shoulders of
giants to build software and tools for the future."