Summer Research/Essay Assignment

Hi everyone. I hope you are enjoying the last few weeks of your summer. Here's a short assignment to get you started on our study of free and open source software and its impact on society.

Free and open source software (FOSS) is software that provides users the freedom to share, copy, modify, and redistribute the software. The free software movement was started by Richard Stallman in the early 1980s. Today there is a wide range of FOSS software projects, including Mozilla, Linux, and others. In addition to providing users with freedom to use and share the software, most FOSS is free of charge.

In addition to the software itself, which is protected by a variety of free and open licenses, the process of developing FOSS is itself very free and open. Instead of relying on hierarchical models to control the process, FOSS communities are highly collaborative, democratic, and transparent. Rather than being organized from the top down, FOSS communities are grass roots, organized from the bottom up. And everything about the community, or almost everything, is done in public.

The FOSS model, both in terms of the freedoms associated with the software itself and the way FOSS communities are organized, has now spread to almost every corner of the online world. Think about Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia. Its content is free--i.e., free to use, modify, and redistribute, as well as free of charge--and it is produced by a highly collaborative, grass roots community.

Now to the assignment. Write an essay (1-2 in length), with references to web sites you've consulted, that addresses the following points.

1. Identify another non-software example, besides Wikipedia, where the FOSS model applies. Describe how user freedoms--freedom to use, modify, and redistribute content--are manifested in your example. And describe how the FOSS development model--collaboration among peers--is exemplified in your example.
2. Pick one of your favorite activities--e.g., sewing, running, chatting, etc. Call it 'X.' Perform a Google search on 'open source X' and write a report on what you find. If nothing significant shows up, redo the search using another value for X. Continue until you find an open source community for one of your favorite activities. If you don't find an open source community for a particular X, make sure you report that as well.

Here are couple of references that you should consult to provide an introduction to the free software and open source movements:

• Free software movement
• Open source movement

If you have any questions about the assignment, send me an email at ralph.morelli at trincoll.edu. I may be away during the middle of August, but I will try to answer you as soon as possible. You can also contact Chris Fei, the mentor for our seminar at: christopher.fei at trincoll.edu.

We will discuss your essays--and I will collect them--at our first meeting.

See you soon!