Science: is a systematic activity that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe. Science is the intellectual and practical activity encompassing the systematic study of the structure and behaviour of the physical and natural world through observation and experiment
Long before computers, the principles of open sharing of knowledge and collaborative research were foundational in science and academia. This ethos, where scholars and scientists shared their findings openly for the advancement of knowledge, rings a bell?
Alas, in the early days of computing, the ethos stays true - software was commonly shared and collaboratively developed. Programmers and researchers at universities and research institutions often freely exchanged software and source code, as the commercial software market had not yet fully developed. These environments naturally fostered a culture of academic freedom and knowledge sharing. Researchers and programmers worked collaboratively, often exchanging ideas and code as a matter of course. Some example systems such as:
Programming languages like FORTRAN, COBOL, and ALGOL were developed and shared collaboratively. Compilers for these languages, which convert high-level code into machine code, were also widely distributed and enhanced by the computing community.
Operating Systems like e Compatible Time-Sharing System (CTSS) developed at MIT and the Berkeley Timesharing System (BTS) developed at the University of California, Berkeley.
even Video Games were curated as graphical demos. These were often simple but demonstrated the capabilities of the hardware and served as a source of enjoyment for early computer users.
The Rise of Proprietary Software
As the software industry grew in the late 20th century, a shift towards proprietary software occurred. Companies began to see software as a product to be licensed and sold, leading to restrictions on source code access and distribution. This was a departure from the earlier norm of open sharing in the computing community.
Reaction and Formation of the Open Source Movement
In response to the growing trend of proprietary software, the open source movement emerged as a formalized concept in the late 1990s. However, its philosophical roots can be traced back to earlier initiatives like the Free Software Movement started by Richard Stallman in the 1980s. Stallman's GNU Project and the creation of the General Public License (GPL) were pivotal in establishing the legal and ideological framework for open source.
The Modern Open Source Movement
As of 2023, GitHub is the central hub for modern collaborative software development, embodying the principles of open source while also serving closed source and commercial projects. It has revolutionized the way software is developed, shared, and maintained, fostering a global community of developers and contributing to the general progression of technological advancements. We accelerated the Open Source Movement, enabling developers worldwide to collaborate on a scale that was previously unimaginable. The days of distributing and contributing software via floppy disks and mailing lists are long gone. The vision of the internet and a globally connected world reimagined The Open Source Movement.