> > Open source is a spirit, a spirit that can be organized to > death, a spirit that can be commercialized to death. Let's just have fun > writing and sharing programs in source code form - Gunther Schadow > > Thanks Gunther for the great synopsis of OSS's roots it is very helpful to > have in the forum archive. It prompted me to re-read my original email and I > realized I meant to say: > > >If that was a critical step to moving forward then WHAT IS the nut we have > to crack? > > I've been enjoying the pleasures of being an in-patient at the Trillium > Health Centre for the last 6 days and the nurse served too much champagne > last night for my nightcap so my hand eye coordination was a little off. I > get discharged today so no more homeoffice with room service. Nevertheless I > think Gunther intuited what I really meant to ask and has offered us some > excellent ideas. > > One of the patterns I have noticed in IT and in lots of other domains is the > dynamic dance between forces for integration and those for > differentiation.....trying to collectively decide what the "kernel" is the > "integration" we need so we can productively "differentiate" for the benefit > of all. This is the process we are living right now in this forum. In an > earlier email I introduced the concept of the "minimum solution" ie. not > perfect consensus but enough to create forward movement with the smallest > number of wasted efforts possible. I think we have to define what this > solution or "kernel" is so we can move closer to the exponential part of the > growth curve. > > Now if we can't define a "minimum solution" / kernel / tipping point, or > whatever you want to call it, then just following the motto Gunther has > provided will work too. It will be slower because we will be using a > slightly less self-aware and more inefficent version of natural selection > but it will work. > > My deep thoughts for the day...legally under the influence so I do not > accept any responsibilty for what I have said. > > Cheers to all, > > Joseph > > >
