{"@attributes":{"version":"2.0"},"channel":{"title":"Arana Software","description":"Arana Software is a software consulting agency developing quality, high-performing custom applications that are tailored to your unique needs.","link":"https:\/\/www.aranasoft.com","pubDate":"Fri, 08 May 2026 05:02:42 +0000","lastBuildDate":"Fri, 08 May 2026 05:02:42 +0000","item":[{"title":"Jay Harris to Appear on Panel at Microsoft Build","description":"\n\n

The session, titled \u201cConnect with Microsoft U.S. and Your Local\nDev Community,\u201d will begin at 1:00 PM PDT and run until 3:00 PM PDT.\nOther speakers appearing during the session include Matthew Calder (Microsoft),\nMary-Jo Diepeveen (Microsoft), Scott Emigh (Microsoft), Jeff Fattic (Microsoft), Nills\nFranssens (Microsoft), Ryan Heerwagen (Capital One), Karen Juhl (Microsoft), Crystal Kelch\n(Microsoft), Molly McCarthy, Ed Mullin, Nitya Narasimhan, Andres Padilla (Microsoft),\nJared Rhodes (QiMata Technologies LLC), Francois Smith (Microsoft), Nina Sui, and\nPatrick Thomas (Microsoft).<\/p>\n\n

Microsoft\u2019s Build Conference is being held Tuesday, May 19th through Wednesday, May 20th\nwith CEO Satya Nadella delivering the keynote address on Tuesday. The conference is being\nstreamed on Microsoft\u2019s website and is free to attend. People can register at\nhttps:\/\/register.build.microsoft.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n","pubDate":"Wed, 20 May 2020 00:00:00 -0700","link":"https:\/\/www.aranasoft.com\/blog\/jay-harris-to-appear-on-panel-at-msbuild\/","guid":"https:\/\/www.aranasoft.com\/blog\/jay-harris-to-appear-on-panel-at-msbuild\/","category":["News","Press Release","Conferences","Community","Press Release"]},{"title":"Arana Software to Sponsor Dev Around the Sun","description":"\n\n

\"Dev<\/p>\n\n

Arana Software is heavily involved in the global technology community, including participation in the Microsoft Most Valuable Professional and Microsoft Regional Director programs, stewardship for Give Camp, and organization for local and virtual Meetups. Jay Harris, president of Arana Software, said, \u201cAs developers, we are problem solvers, but many developers are feeling helpless to solve the problem of the current global pandemic. Dev Around the Sun is an opportunity to unite the global developer community, regardless of our technologies and backgrounds, to help raise funds toward finding a solution.\u201c<\/em><\/p>\n\n

Dev Around The Sun is a 24-hour, telethon-style, multi-platform fundraiser hosted by the .NET Foundation to raise money for Direct Relief\u2019s coronavirus emergency fund. Technology speakers from around the world will present a wide range of topics. The fundraiser will feature high-level talks on technology and human skills from a diverse group of renowned speakers who will educate, entertain, and inspire an international audience in the comfort of their own homes. Streaming will begin on Twitch and Youtube beginning on May 12, 2020 at 12:00 UTC, 5:00 AM US Pacific Time.<\/p>\n\n

Access to Dev Around The Sun\u2019s 24-hour event is public and open to everyone. The public may sign up at DevAroundTheSun.org<\/a><\/p>\n\n

To sponsor or to make a matching contribution to Dev Around The Sun, contributors should visit DevAroundTheSun.org<\/a>. Individual supporters of the event may donate to Direct Relief\u2019s Coronavirus Fund at https:\/\/bit.ly\/DATS2020<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n

\n\n

About Arana Software<\/h2>\n

Arana Software is a software consulting agency that provides a mindful blend of business and marketing implemented through the effective creation of software. Our focus is on collaborating the human element of building the right thing with the technical element of building the thing right, marketing ideas and bringing ideas to market.<\/p>\n\n

About Dev Around The Sun<\/h2>\n

Dev Around the Sun is a group of technologists, from all backgrounds, from around the globe, with two important goals in mind: to raise awareness and provide financial support for the many people fighting the current coronavirus and COVID-19 pandemic, while also delivering hope and reconnecting those in the global developer community.<\/p>\n\n

Contact<\/h2>\n

For further inquiries, contact Christina Aldan<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n","pubDate":"Thu, 07 May 2020 00:00:00 -0700","link":"https:\/\/www.aranasoft.com\/blog\/arana-software-to-sponsor-dev-aound-the-sun\/","guid":"https:\/\/www.aranasoft.com\/blog\/arana-software-to-sponsor-dev-aound-the-sun\/","category":["News","Press Release","Conferences","Community","Press Release"]},{"title":"Code Camp Vegas selects Jay Harris to Keynote","description":"\n\n

\"Code<\/p>\n\n

\n

\u201cAs citizens of the world, many of us watched the 2018 Olympic Winter\nGames in PyeongChang,\u201d<\/em> said Jay Harris. \u201cWe celebrated the accomplishments of every\nOlympian, regardless of if they were awarded a medal. However, we can\ncertainly understand Olympians doubting their own skill based on their\nsuccess against other Olympians, despite achieving the greatest\nathletic stage in the history of the world. This self-doubt\u2014this imposter\nsyndrome\u2014isn\u2019t unique to Olympians; it affects software developers,\ngraphic designers, and all of humanity.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

Code Camp Vegas will be held on Saturday, October 20, 2018, at Work In\nProgress in downtown Las Vegas, Nevada. The one-day conference will host two\nparallel sessions throughout the day focusing on exciting topics in\nsoftware development. The schedule boasts thirteen speakers from Las\nVegas and throughout the United States, including Jay, a Las Vegas\nlocal.<\/p>\n\n

The event is designed for collaboration, networking, and learning to\nstrengthen the Las Vegas software development community. Tickets are\navailable on Eventbrite<\/a>\nfor $25.00. A 20% discount is available during purchase with the\ndiscount code VegasTech<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n

Learn more at codecamp.vegas<\/a> and by following\n@CodeCampVegas<\/a>\non Twitter.<\/p>\n\n","pubDate":"Tue, 07 Aug 2018 00:00:00 -0700","link":"https:\/\/www.aranasoft.com\/blog\/code-camp-vegas-selects-jay-harris-to-keynote\/","guid":"https:\/\/www.aranasoft.com\/blog\/code-camp-vegas-selects-jay-harris-to-keynote\/","category":["News","Press Release","Conferences","Speaking","Arana Team","Community","Press Release"]},{"title":"Jeff Strauss joins Kansas City Developer Conference","description":"\n\n

After spending the prior seven years serving on the board of the St.\nLouis Days of .NET (now called Dev Up Conference), Jeff is excited for\nthe new opportunity to work on a dynamic, cross-platform event.<\/p>\n\n

\n

\u201cKCDC has so much exciting growth potential,\u201d<\/em> said Jeff, \u201cI have\nparticipated here as a speaker for the last six years and seen its\nupward trajectory. It is truly becoming an international event. We\nare welcoming presenters to the regional community this year from\nseven countries across four continents. Beyond development\ntechnologies, I am just as proud of the new partner events for 2017\nthat will enhance the experience for all of our attendees, sponsors,\nand other community members.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

This year, KCDC has added the Kansas City Kids Conference. Hosted as\na free half-day event on Saturday, August 5, this special new\nopportunity will welcome children and families of all ages to learn\nnot only about software development, but also a variety of STEM topics\nacross the educational spectrum. Additionally, KCDC is partnering this\nyear with Todd Gardner\u2019s PubConf, a raw, uncensored, and often\nsatirical after-dark event featuring some of the industry\u2019s top\nspeakers. While based in Minnesota, PubConf is typically reserved for\nmajor international conferences abroad.<\/p>\n\n

The Kansas City Developer Conference originated out of the Microsoft\n.NET community in Overland Park, Kansas. For the first several years,\nit was hosted on different community college campuses around the\nKansas City bi-state metropolitan area. Upon experiencing substantial\ngrowth, the conference moved downtown in 2012 and continues to seek\nnew and innovative ways to engage the community.<\/p>\n\n

Tickets for this year\u2019s event are available now online at\nEventbrite<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n

You can learn more about the Kansas City Developer Conference at\nkcdc.info<\/a> and by following\nKCDC<\/a> on Twitter.<\/p>\n","pubDate":"Sat, 15 Jul 2017 00:00:00 -0700","link":"https:\/\/www.aranasoft.com\/blog\/kansas-city-developer-conference-gains-new-board-member\/","guid":"https:\/\/www.aranasoft.com\/blog\/kansas-city-developer-conference-gains-new-board-member\/","category":["News","Press Release","Conferences","Arana Team","Community","Press Release"]},{"title":"Jay Harris Appointed to Microsoft Regional Director Program","description":"\n\n

As a member of the Regional Director program, Microsoft will look to Jay as a\nleader and visionary in both the business world and the developer community.\nIn their capacity as non-paid advisors to Microsoft, Regional Directors provide\nregular feedback to the company\u2019s senior leadership and executive teams.<\/p>\n\n

Uniquely, Regional Directors are renowned for their expertise beyond Microsoft\nplatforms alone. Instead, they are valued by Microsoft and industry leaders\nprecisely because of their knowledge across a variety of platforms, frameworks,\nand architectures. Drawing on their experience, Regional Directors are better\nequipped to understand Microsoft customers\u2019 needs and concerns while reporting\nback to Microsoft product teams to ensure an ever-improving customer experience.<\/p>\n\n

While Jay also continues to be a Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP), the\ntwo programs are notably different concerning their underlying purpose. While\nthe MVP award focuses on in-depth technical knowledge, Regional Directors focus\non business consultation and the organizational \u201cbig picture\u201d within the\ntechnical landscape.<\/p>\n\n

All Regional Directors serve for renewable two-year terms. Jay\u2019s participation\nin the program began effective April 1, 2017.<\/p>\n","pubDate":"Thu, 01 Jun 2017 00:00:00 -0700","link":"https:\/\/www.aranasoft.com\/blog\/jay-harris-appointed-microsoft-regional-director\/","guid":"https:\/\/www.aranasoft.com\/blog\/jay-harris-appointed-microsoft-regional-director\/","category":["News","Press Release","Community","Awards","Arana Team","Community","Press Release"]},{"title":"Jay Harris to Deliver Keynote at Code PaLOUsa","description":"\n\n

\"Code<\/p>\n\n

Entering into its seventh year, the annual Code PaLOUsa conference is\ndesigned to educate software development professionals on current and\nemerging technologies at an affordable cost. The event, which has been\nchaired by Chad Green<\/a> since its 2011 inception, is run as a non-profit organized\nand staffed entirely by volunteers. In recent years, it has welcomed as\nmany as 750 attendees to the Louisville metropolitan area.<\/p>\n\n

\n

\u201cI am very excited about the opportunity to keynote at Code PaLOUsa\nthis year,\u201d<\/em> said Harris. \u201cI have known Chad and his team of\norganizers for a long time, having presented sessions for the event\nnearly every year since it started. Louisville is a great city and Code\nPaLOUsa is an incredible conference.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

While the specific details of the talk remain to be finalized, Jay\nplans to cover themes of collaboration, empathy, and teamwork in the\nworkplace. \u201cToo often,\u201d he says, \u201cteams focus on speed over\nquality. Mistakes are punished and the offenders are ostracized. The end\nresult is rarely good.\u201d Jay preaches a professional culture of support,\nencouragement, and growth. The initial investment in all members of the\nteam and in fostering the proper environment, he advises, will almost\nalways pay dividends down the road.<\/p>\n\n

Code PaLOUsa 2017 will take place June 7\u20139, 2017, at the Ramada Plaza\nLouisville Hotel and Conference Center.\nTickets\nwill go on sale on at 10:00am EST on January 30. You can learn more\nabout the event and keep up with current news at\nwww.codepalousa.com<\/a> and by following\nCode PaLOUsa<\/a> on Twitter.<\/p>\n","pubDate":"Thu, 19 Jan 2017 00:00:00 -0800","link":"https:\/\/www.aranasoft.com\/blog\/jay-harris-keynoting-codepalousa\/","guid":"https:\/\/www.aranasoft.com\/blog\/jay-harris-keynoting-codepalousa\/","category":["News","Press Release","Conferences","Speaking","Arana Team","Community","Press Release"]},{"title":"Thinking About Open Source, Part Two","description":"\n\n

\n

OPEN SOURCE SERIES<\/h3>\n

Part 1: The Open Source Definition<\/a>
\nPart 2: Copyleft vs. Permissive Licenses<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

Copyleft & Copyright<\/h2>\n\n

Many people learning about open source ideas are probably hearing the term\n\u201ccopyleft\u201d for the first time. Shortly after thinking, \u201cThat\u2019s a\nfunny-sounding term,\u201d their next thought is usually an assumption that\nit represents the opposite of a copyright.<\/p>\n\n

The two terms are somewhat related. Certainly copyleft, as a concept,\narose from the principles of copyright and intellectual property.\nHowever, I would not necessarily say that they are opposites. In a\nfuture post, I will talk more about copyright, trademarks, and patents.\nFor now, simply be aware that a copyright is an assertion of ownership\nover authorship of works. When you hold the copyright over some\nintellectual property\u2014a novel, a painting, or your code\u2014you own the\nauthorship rights. Nobody else can legally use or reproduce the work\nwithout your express permission.<\/p>\n\n

Hence the purpose of Open Source licenses in the first\nplace. They are copyright licenses<\/em>, granting the recipient permission\nto use, modify, and reproduce the code produced by the original author.\nWithout that license, even if you have the copyrighted code in hand, you\nhave no right to use or distribute it, any more than you can\nrebroadcast, reproduce, or use the pictures or accounts of a baseball\ngame without the express written consent of Major League Baseball.<\/p>\n\n

Copyleft as a Condition of Use<\/h3>\n\n

Open Source licenses generally provide a good deal of latitude to the\ndownstream user of code, but they rarely provide carte blanche\npermission for you to do whatsoever you please. Some (e.g.<\/em>, the MIT\nlicense) come close. Most, however, place conditions or requirements on\nthe user of the software to satisfy the terms of the license.<\/p>\n\n

\"GPLv3<\/p>\n\n

The so-called copyleft provisions constitute one such set of conditions.\nThe most prominent of the copyleft licenses is the GNU General Public\nLicense (GPL)<\/a>, along\nwith all of its associated colors, flavors, and versions. They are still\nOpen Source under the OSI\u2019s definition. You may take GPL-licensed\nsoftware and incorporate, link, modify, and redistribute it with your\nown projects.<\/p>\n\n

But there is a catch. Any redistribution of the GPL-covered code, in its\noriginal form or as part of a derivative work, must be released under\nthe same license, or a compatible open license<\/strong>. In other words, among\nother things, you cannot take GPL-licensed code and roll it into a\nclosed-code, proprietary solution.<\/p>\n\n

\n
1\n2\n3\n4\n5\n6\n7\n8\n9\n10\n11\n<\/pre><\/td>\n
Except from the GNU General Public License, Version 3  \nCopyright \u00a9 2007 Free Software Foundation, Inc.\n\nSection 5. Conveying Modified Source Versions.\n\nYou may convey a work based on the Program, or the modifications to\nproduce it from the Program, in the form of source code...provided that\nyou also meet all of these conditions:  \n...  \nc) You must license the entire work, as a whole, under this\nLicense to anyone who comes into a possession of a copy.\n<\/pre><\/td>\n<\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/code><\/pre><\/div>\n
That is copyleft.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n
Inherently, this is neither a good nor a bad thing. It is simply a\nquality of the category of Open Source license. These are licenses where\nthe driving purpose is to ensure that the software remains open and free\n(Speech, not Beer<\/a>). In\nthe right scenarios, this is quite valuable. In others (e.g.<\/em>, use for\ncommercial products in the enterprise setting), it can be extremely\nproblematic.<\/p>\n\n
Even among the different versions of copyleft licenses, there are subtle\nvariances. Some are less draconian than others. However, across the\nboard, the same general principles hold.<\/p>\n\n
Permissive == !Copyleft<\/h2>\n\n
Effectively, a permissive license is any license that does not contain\nthe copyleft restrictions<\/em> seen in licenses such as the GPL. There are\nmany examples, which contain a wide array of provisions. Among these are\nthe MIT, BSD, and Apache licenses.<\/p>\n\n
At their simplest, a permissive copyright license may grant nearly\nuniversal and unrestricted rights for a downstream user to use, modify,\nredistribte, and otherwise consume the covered code as the downstream\nuser sees fit. Take, for example, the \"Expat\" version of the\nMIT License<\/a>\u2014currently\nthe most popular software license in common circulation\u2014which reads:<\/p>\n\n
\n
1\n2\n3\n4\n5\n6\n7\n8\n9\n10\n11\n12\n13\n14\n15\n16\n17\n18\n19\n<\/pre><\/td>\n
Copyright (c) <year> <copyright holders>\n\nPermission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy\nof this software and associated documentation files (the \"Software\"), to deal\nin the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights\nto use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and\/or sell\ncopies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is\nfurnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:\n\nThe above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all\ncopies or substantial portions of the Software.\n\nTHE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED \"AS IS\", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR\nIMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,\nFITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE\nAUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER\nLIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,\nOUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE\nSOFTWARE.\n<\/pre><\/td>\n<\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/code><\/pre><\/div>\n
That\u2019s it. There are no express attribution or advertising requirements.\nThere is nothing covering patents or other (non-copyright) forms of\nintellectual property. Effectively, this license grants the consumer\nbroad rights to incorporate, improve, and distribute the licensed\nsoftware freely.<\/p>\n\n
And, importantly, there is no requirement to redistribute under the\nsame license, or even to keep it open<\/strong> in downstream use. This is what\ndistinguishes a traditional permissive license from a copyleft.<\/p>\n\n
Permissive licenses need not be as simple and all-encompassing as the\nMIT License. Others, such as the\nApache License, Version 2.0<\/a>\nor the Mozilla Public License<\/a>, contain much more \"legalese,\" warranting closer review. These two, in particular,\nprovide a license not only for copyright material, but also for patents\nor patentable content. (NB:<\/strong> the patent protection comes with\nstrings attached; more on that in a future post!)<\/p>\n\n
So What Does This Mean for Me?<\/h2>\n\n
The impact of open source software on your own development projects\ndepends upon the nature of what you are doing. And it depends upon your\ngoals.<\/p>\n\n
For authors looking to release their own free or open software, a major\nconsideration are your hopes and dreams for the future of the project.\nDo you want to ensure that, no matter what, your software remains free\nand subject to copyleft-like restrictions? If so, the GPL (or one of its\nvariants) may be for you. Prefer to offer maximum flexibility and,\npotentially, encourage a higher rate of community contribution to the\nproject? Then some kind of permissive license might be more appropriate.<\/p>\n\n
Many organizations dual-license<\/em> their software. Consumers may use the\nsoftware under a no-cost open license, which is subject to copyleft\nrestritions. Alternatively, those same consumers may pay a fee for a\ncommercial license, allowing the licensee to incorporate and\nrelease proprietary (i.e.<\/em>, closed) software derived from the open\nsource component. This approach has gained in popularity as a means of\nsupporting free software models within a business or commercial\nenvironment.<\/p>\n\n
If you are working in an enterprise environment, or if you are hoping to\nimplement proprietary software, then you absolutely must<\/em> be aware of\nthe copyleft distinction. It doesn\u2019t matter whether you are cloning an\nopen component from its git repository, grabbing a package from npm, or\n\"checking the box\" in a package manager like nuget. The key is\nalways to check the license<\/em> and make educated decisions<\/em> about\nwhether a given piece of software can be incorporated in your project without\ncompromising your goals.<\/p>\n\n
In a future post in this series, I will give my basic suggestions for\nhow development teams\u2014particularly in the enterprise\u2014can\nimplement sensible policies to manage the incorporation of open source\nto minimize risk. Don\u2019t forget to\nwrite me<\/a> if there is a\nspecific topic you want to see covered.<\/p>\n\n
\n  
Disclaimer<\/h2>\n  
If you have seen my talks in the past, you will have heard me say this\ncountless times. But as always, remember, \u201cI may be a lawyer, but I am\nnot your lawyer<\/em>.\u201d Arana Software LLC is not a law firm and does not\nengage, in any context or jurisdiction, in the practice of law. These\nblog posts are for infomational purposes only and should never be\nconstrued as legal advice. If you think you, your company, or your\nwork requires specific advice with respect to any particular issue or\nproblem, you should contact (or retain) an attorney who represents you\nand understands your needs. My ramblings on this blog are nothing more\nthan a guide for some things you may wish to discuss with your own\ncounsel.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n","pubDate":"Sat, 17 Sep 2016 00:00:00 -0700","link":"https:\/\/www.aranasoft.com\/blog\/thinking-about-open-source-part-2\/","guid":"https:\/\/www.aranasoft.com\/blog\/thinking-about-open-source-part-2\/","category":["Open Source","Licenses","Community","Business","Open Source"]},{"title":"Thinking About Open Source, Part One","description":"\n\n
\n  
OPEN SOURCE SERIES<\/h3>\n  
Part 1: The Open Source Definition
\nPart 2: Copyleft vs. Permissive Licenses<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n
What is Open Source?<\/h2>\n\n
The abstract for my popular talk, The Impact of Leveraging Open\nSource<\/em>, reads in part:<\/p>\n\n
\n  
Open source tools. We all use them. But what does \u201copen source\u201d\ntruly mean? What are our rights and limitations as open source\nconsumers to use, modify, and redistribute these tools?<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n
I think that there is a great deal of misconception about the core\ndefinition of Open Source software. Many young, new developers\u2014and\nperhaps experienced devs, as well\u2014associate the term \u201copen\u201d with the\nidea of \u201cfree\u201d stuff. If you are just getting started, or trying to\nbuild your own side project, or just are strapped for cash generally\n(and who isn\u2019t), then \u201cfree\u201d sure sounds exciting!<\/p>\n\n
On the other end of the spectrum, developer leads and project\nmanagers in big business settings have, historically, largely run away from Open\nSource, screaming. At one time or another, they heard horror stories\nabout a project that completely fell apart because it\nincorporated an open library and either failed to comply with the\nlicensing terms, or else triggered an obligation on the part of the\nbusiness to open source their proprietary end-product. Bosses screaming;\njobs lost; fire and brimstone; the works.<\/p>\n\n
\n  
Both of these perceptions may be true\u2014some of the time.<\/em>
\nNeither has anything to do with the\ndefinition of a piece of software as being open source.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n
It so happens that many different distributions of Linux are readily\navailable for download, free of cost. Red Hat also offers Red Hat\nEnterprise Linux<\/a>, at a fairly hefty annual sum, and plenty of\nbusinesses happily pay for it. Both are \u201copen source,\u201d but one comes\npackaged with automatic updates and other helpful support services.<\/p>\n\n
If your commercial enterprise is trying to release a\nproprietary, closed-source image editor, you probably should not fork it\nfrom GIMP<\/a>. On\nthe other hand, back in November 2014, Microsoft\nopen-sourced<\/a> the .NET Core Framework and Runtime under the MIT\nLicense<\/a> (more on that in a future post)<\/em>, and countless companies release closed-source products\nbased upon .NET every single day.<\/p>\n\n
As with so many things in life, one size does not fit all situations.\nSo\u2026 what are the core factors that define a piece of software\nas open source?<\/p>\n\n
The Open Source Initiative and Licensing<\/h2>\n\n
\n\"Open\n<\/a><\/p>\n\n
When it comes to defining open source software, the standard-bearer for\nnearly twenty years has been the Open Source\nInitiative<\/a>. This\nnon-profit organization declares themselves (rightfully) to be the\n\u201cstewards of the Open Source Definition.\u201d<\/p>\n\n
Okay, sounds fancy. What that really means to me and you is that\nOSI reviews and certifies whether a given license, through that\nlicense\u2019s standard text, comforms to the requirements for Open Source\nsoftware. When we say that a piece of software is \u201cOpen Source\u201d with a\ncapital O.S., we mean that its source code is made available for\nconsumption under a license approved by OSI.<\/p>\n\n
Approved Open Source licenses vary greatly in their scope, length, and\ncontent, but at a minimum, they should all comply with the following\nrequirements.<\/p>\n\n
Free Distribution<\/h3>\n\n
Here is the \u201cFREE\u201d that we discussed before. \u201cA-ha!\u201d you say, \u201cBut you\nsaid that open source software did not have to be free.\u201d People often\nconflate two separate meanings of the term. As I often say in my talks\non this subject:<\/p>\n\n
\n  
With Open Source, we mean \u201cfree\u201d as in Free Speech, not Free Beer<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n
Everyone loves cost-free beer, and who doesn\u2019t love cost-free software?\nBut that\u2019s not what we mean when we talk about Free Software. Rather,\nthe intent is that Open Source is just as it sounds. The underlying\nsource code is freely available. Moreover, the license must not restrict\nthe consumer from giving the source code to others and cannot demand\nroyalties from downstream consumers for future use. This leads to\nanother important requirement.<\/p>\n\n
Source Code Inclusion<\/h3>\n\n
It probably goes without saying, but Open Source software licenses\nrequire that distribution includes source code. For that matter, it is\nimportant to realize that compiled, binary software cannot, by\ndefinition be Open Source<\/em>. It is the underlying source, through its\ndistribution, that is licensed under an OSI-approved license. The code\nmust be easy to obtain, at little to no cost, without obfuscation.<\/p>\n\n
\n
1\n2\n3\n4\n5\n6\n7\n8\n9\n10\n<\/pre><\/td>\n
\/\/ NOT OPEN SOURCE (from angular.min.js)<\/span>\nvar<\/span> b<\/span>=<\/span>\"<\/span>length<\/span>\"<\/span>in<\/span> Object<\/span>(<\/span>a<\/span>)<\/span>&&<\/span>a<\/span>.<\/span>length<\/span>;<\/span>return<\/span> Q<\/span>(<\/span>b<\/span>)<\/span>&&<\/span>(<\/span>0<\/span><=<\/span>b<\/span>&&<\/span>(<\/span>b<\/span>-<\/span>1<\/span> in<\/span> a<\/span>||<\/span>a<\/span> instanceof<\/span> Array<\/span>)<\/span>||<\/span>\"<\/span>function<\/span>\"<\/span>==<\/span>typeof<\/span> a<\/span>.<\/span>item<\/span>)}<\/span>function<\/span> n<\/span>(<\/span>a<\/span>,<\/span>b<\/span>,<\/span>d<\/span>){<\/span>var<\/span> c<\/span>,<\/span>e<\/span>;<\/span>if<\/span>(<\/span>a<\/span>)<\/span>if<\/span>(<\/span>B<\/span>(<\/span>a<\/span>))<\/span>for<\/span>(<\/span>c<\/span> in<\/span> a<\/span>)<\/span>\"<\/span>prototype<\/span>\"<\/span>==<\/span>c<\/span>||<\/span>\"<\/span>length<\/span>\"<\/span>==<\/span>c<\/span>||<\/span>\"<\/span>name<\/span>\"<\/span>==<\/span>c<\/span>||<\/span>a<\/span>.<\/span>hasOwnProperty<\/span>&&!<\/span>a<\/span>.<\/span>hasOwnProperty<\/span>(<\/span>c<\/span>)<\/span>||<\/span>b<\/span>.<\/span>call<\/span>(<\/span>d<\/span>,<\/span>a<\/span>[<\/span>c<\/span>],<\/span>c<\/span>,<\/span>a<\/span>);<\/span>else<\/span> if<\/span>(<\/span>E<\/span>(<\/span>a<\/span>)<\/span>||<\/span>Aa<\/span>(<\/span>a<\/span>)){<\/span>var<\/span> f<\/span>=<\/span>\"<\/span>object<\/span>\"<\/span>!==<\/span>typeof<\/span> a<\/span>;<\/span>c<\/span>=<\/span>0<\/span>;<\/span>for<\/span>(<\/span>e<\/span>=<\/span>a<\/span>.<\/span>length<\/span>;<\/span>c<\/span>,<\/span>e<\/span>;<\/span>c<\/span>++<\/span>)(<\/span>f<\/span>||<\/span>c<\/span> in<\/span> a<\/span>)<\/span>&&<\/span>b<\/span>.<\/span>call<\/span>(<\/span>d<\/span>,<\/span>a<\/span>[<\/span>c<\/span>],<\/span>c<\/span>,<\/span>a<\/span>)}<\/span>else<\/span> if<\/span>(<\/span>a<\/span>.<\/span>forEach<\/span>&&<\/span>a<\/span>.<\/span>forEach<\/span>!==<\/span>n<\/span>)<\/span>a<\/span>.<\/span>forEach<\/span>(<\/span>b<\/span>,<\/span>d<\/span>,<\/span>a<\/span>)<\/span>&&<\/span>\n\n\/\/ OPEN SOURCE (from angular.js v1.4.9)<\/span>\nvar<\/span> manualLowercase<\/span> =<\/span> function<\/span>(<\/span>s<\/span>)<\/span> {<\/span>\n  \/* jshint bitwise: false *\/<\/span>\n  return<\/span> isString<\/span>(<\/span>s<\/span>)<\/span>\n      ?<\/span> s<\/span>.<\/span>replace<\/span>(<\/span>\/<\/span>[<\/span>A-Z<\/span>]<\/span>\/g<\/span>,<\/span> function<\/span>(<\/span>ch<\/span>)<\/span> {<\/span>return<\/span> String<\/span>.<\/span>fromCharCode<\/span>(<\/span>ch<\/span>.<\/span>charCodeAt<\/span>(<\/span>0<\/span>)<\/span> |<\/span> 32<\/span>);})<\/span>\n      :<\/span> s<\/span>;<\/span>\n};<\/span>\n<\/pre><\/td>\n<\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/code><\/pre><\/div>\n
Derived Works<\/h3>\n\n
Open Source licenses will never prohibit the modification of the source\ncode, nor the distribution of any derived works arising from those\nmodifications. There are actually a couple loaded terms in that last\nsentence: \u201cdistribution\u201d and \u201cderived works\u201d both can mean slightly\ndifferent things depending upon the context.<\/p>\n\n
In future posts, I will look at both of these concepts in more detail.\nBut for now, it will suffice to say that any Open Source license will\npermit you to modify its covered code and redistribute the results. The\nextent<\/em> of your own code that is deemed part of the \u201cderived work,\u201d and\nthe means through which you may be required to license those\nderivatives, is at the heart of what differentiates many OSI-approved\nlicense from one another.<\/p>\n\n
Techhnology and Software Restrictions<\/h3>\n\n
One requirement for Open Source that is less obvious is that a license\nmay not restrict consumers\u2019 rights based upon the presence of (or\nuse with) any particular technology. That means the Open Source license\ndistributed with the software cannot<\/em> be conditioned upon:<\/p>\n\n