Rayshawn Parrilla
Open source is a software designed to be altered, shared and available for the public use. It consists of a code which allows programmers or company’s the opportunity to learn from it, adapt it and modify it into your own specific needs. Through this concept, you are able to add or take away features as well as fix features in a existing software. In the article “Commons-based Peer Production and Virtue,” it discusses open source as a structured software idea. It’s “individuals collectively coming together to contribute towards a common goal.” They are working over a period of time to develop, maintain and improve software. On the other hand, open source can be associated with organizing your product or brand and the same rules applies.
In order to have a successful business, you must have the knowledge and access to how a successful business is organized. It seems as open source would be considered a good and bad aspect for business around the world. It could potentially eliminate the issue of dealing with business tycoons. Usually top brands own a large portion of a product they invented. With open source, it gives upcoming business the blue print as well as allows more people the opportunity to their own businesses. In this case, the brand is no longer owned or controlled by one person. There is no manger directing the products future. Small businesses are in control of making their own decisions nor are they locked in any proprietary standards. On the other hand, open source can be considered non beneficial for companies. Some people may be against it. Through open source, companies are losing money due to their product mimicked all over the world. Its idea also creates a mockery of trade marking where eventually there would be none or no entitlement in the world period. If you created a product or brand, you should be able to own it. However, open source makes it difficult to earn full credit. Everyone is considered equal, has the same amount of rights to that product and are all able to profit from it. Over all, open source can be look upon as a beneficial and non beneficial business model.
