Governments and major corporations around the world are now moving swiftly towards wider use of Open Source software. In this presentation we’ll look at what Open Source software is and isn’t, examine its advantages and deficiencies compared to proprietary software, lay out the basic business case for considering Open Source, and enumerate the major questions that need to be answered when making any strategic software decision.
But more importantly, we’ll look at those issues through geek eyes. Open Source software development and support is based on a model of collaborative interaction that is entirely different from the competitive world of commercial software. It’s not a business; it’s a culture.
As a manager, to get the greatest benefit from Open Source you need to understand and engage that alien culture, to appreciate the motivations, aspirations, mindset, and limitations of its community. Who are these odd people? Why do they (apparently) want to create and maintain software for you for free? What’s their angle? What’s in it for them? This presentation aims to offer insights that will help you better understand, interact with, and manage Open Source geeks.