Open Source Communities and Contributor Agreement: it’s all about Trust

Recently I’ve noticed a debate about Open Source Communities and Contributor Agreements.

Simon Phipps, in his post, says that “Contributor agreements that aggregate the copyrights of open source code in favour of a single corporate sponsor are a sure sign of a community where one member has more rights than the rest. And equality is the key to success.”

This is a nice opportunity for me to clarify my position about this topic and SpagoWorld contribution policy.… Read the rest

Gender diversity: why women matter in FLOSS

The agenda of the upcoming Open World Forum, Paris includes a Diversity Summit: Why women matter? The assumption is that “FLOSS still faces gender inequality, to an even greater extent than the wider IT industry which itself is seen as an area where discrimination is widespread.”

About the same topic, Free Software Foundation hosts a caucus about Women in Free Software; they recently published their initial findings and recommendations.

In 2007, Gartner released a research on the wider general topic “Women and men in IT: breaking through sexual stereotypes”, and hosted a debate in a Gartner summit.… Read the rest

Foundation of community relationships in FLOSS

The following is part of a speech I’ve submitted to next Open Source World Conference in Malaga. If you like it and want to listen to the whole story, vote for the candidate paper “Which open source software for the current decade? Five questions for the future” here.

Communities still play an important role in FLOSS, as they have always fostered the development of open source solutions, even if nowadays they are not always supported by real communities but by single enterprises (especially if you are looking to a commercial OSS solution).… Read the rest

The need for education in Computer Science and Free Open Source Software

Investing money in training and research activities is generally considered crucial in this period of crisis and incertitude. The role of training on Information Technology issues since primary education, plays a central role, as it is an important element of the knowledge society as well as the starting point of the new outcomes like “internet of the future”. This is essential to build a liveable future, avoiding plugging the current crisis with old methods, established by a ruling class which hasn’t gone with the times, conforming our political and economic models to the current situation.… Read the rest

Open Source SOA for Internet of Services: Spagic success story

Spagic has contributed to the development of the MyFestival project, which enables the participants to organize their own participation in the Festival of Economics in Trento, thanks to an electronic agenda that is accessible by a web connection and a mobile phone.

Festival of Economics in Trento is a key meeting in Italy, aiming to debate about Economics, Information, social impacts and correlated topics. Its fifth edition, taking place from 3rd to 6th June 2010, offers a great agenda including four days of debates, meetings and lessons, offering the opportunity to discuss and understand which are the circumstances that usually foster the economic growth and that, at the same time, allow to face and avoid recessions.… Read the rest