Open Source and the Developing World
Published by steve December 5th, 2003 in UncategorizedThe discussion of open source and the developing world tends to revolve around the reducing software license fees.
A much more important aspect of open source for the developing world is the ability for it to efficiently tap the world’s programming talent.
As Heather Ford notes in her Blog entry entitled The politics of codemaking, successful open source efforts are motivated by “greed, glory, and the greater good.”
Traditionally this “greater good” refers to better tools for the software development community. But a much more profound greater good can be served.
Tino Tran pointed out this example to me, the Micro-Banking Open Architecture Project (MOAP). If you are not familar with Micro-Banking and its social benefits, the Grameen Bank’s website explains it much more eloquently than I ever could.
Being able to save the cost of an OS license is one thing. State of the art software applications like MOAP that help to solve the developing world?s financial, education, and health issues is quite another.