openinfra
/
four-opens
Code Issues Proposed changes

Merge "Polish the Introduction of the Four Opens book"

This commit is contained in:
Zuul 2021-09-07 18:37:29 +00:00 committed by Gerrit Code Review
parent 5db7e933c2 0f3e8f2a06
commit 5a5e6acd82
1 changed files with 69 additions and 36 deletions
Show Stats Download Patch File Download Diff File Expand all files Collapse all files

105
doc/source/introduction.rst
View File

@ -2,21 +2,51 @@
Introduction Introduction
============ ============
Where do the Four Opens originate from? They came from a need to do things
differently. This book is for the lost souls to guide them through the intricacies,
challenges and joys of building, maintaining, supporting and participating in
well balanced and sustainable open source communities.
Open source has become a loaded term over the past few decades while many
people still associate it with free software. While the access to source code
is directly implied in the term, under various license options that this book
will not discuss, the focus is shifting towards how the software gets created
by communities that are formed by a group of individuals who need to be able
to work together in an open environment while they often employed by companies
that are competitors.
What is the key to success to make open collaboration successful? How can you
participate in a community and help make it thrive? What are the most
important principles to follow during your journey?
This book will give you answers to these questions by describing a set of
guiding principles called The Four Opens that was originally defined by the
OpenStack community and helped them as well as other projects to thrive in the
open source ecosystem.
History
-------
Before jumping in the middle of The Four Opens let’s have a short tour in
history to understand where the need and the ideas came from. Originally, they
came from a need to do things differently.
Free software started in the 80’s by defining four (initially three) Free software started in the 80’s by defining four (initially three)
freedoms [#fourfreedoms]_ that any free software should grant its freedoms [#fourfreedoms]_ that any free software should grant its
users. Freedom users:
0 was the freedom to run the program as you wish, for any purpose. Freedom 1
was the freedom to study how the program works, and change it so it does your * Freedom 0: freedom to run the program as you wish, for any purpose
computing as you wish. Freedom 2 was the freedom to redistribute copies so you * Freedom 1: freedom to study how the program works, and change it so it does
can help your neighbor. Freedom 3 was the freedom to distribute copies of your your computing as you wish
modified versions to others. Those freedoms made you free to improve the * Freedom 2: freedom to redistribute copies so you can help your neighbor
program, and release your improvements to the public, so that the whole * Freedom 3: freedom to distribute copies of your modified versions to others
community benefits. But free software did not mandate anything about how the
software was to be built to actually encourage this collaboration across These freedoms made the participants free to improve the program, and release
boundaries that would result in benefiting the whole community. their improvements to the public, so that the whole community benefits. But
free software did not mandate anything about how the software was to be built
to actually encourage this collaboration across boundaries that would result
in benefiting the whole community.
When open source was defined in 1998, it focused on a specific angle (the one When open source was defined in 1998, it focused on a specific angle (the one
that mattered the most to businesses), which is the availability and that mattered the most to businesses), which is the availability and
@ -41,39 +71,42 @@ improvement (like security or scalability) that the controlling entity would
prefer to keep for its Enterprise edition. All this control ultimately hurts prefer to keep for its Enterprise edition. All this control ultimately hurts
the adoption and the success of the software. the adoption and the success of the software.
OpenStack was started with the belief that a community of equals, working OpenStack is an open source community that was started with the belief that a
together in an open collaboration, would produce better software, more aligned community of equals, working together in an open collaboration, would produce
to the needs of its users and more largely adopted. It was therefore started better software, more aligned to the needs of its users and more largely
from day 0 as an open collaboration willing to include as many individuals and adopted. It was therefore started from the first day as an open collaboration
organizations as possible, on a level playing field, with everyone involved in willing to include as many individuals and organizations as possible, on a
designing the solution. This was relatively novel: while a few venerable level playing field, with everyone involved in designing and developing the
projects like the Linux kernel were set up and perdured as truly open solution.
collaborations, most new projects in 2010 were just owned by a "main sponsor"
This is why it was pretty important for us to state in a very concise way what This was relatively novel: while a few venerable projects like the Linux kernel
we really meant by Open. It was also important to clearly distinguish ourselves were set up and perdured as truly open collaborations, most new projects in
from prevalent open core solutions like Eucalyptus, which was then the only 2010 were just owned by a "main sponsor". This is why it was pretty important
open source cloud infrastructure platform available. for the individuals who participated in the OpenStack community to state in a
very concise way what they really meant by 'open'. It was also important to
clearly distinguish themselves from prevalent open core solutions like
Eucalyptus, which was then the only open source cloud infrastructure platform
available.
It was from these conditions that "The Four Opens" were born. The first public It was from these conditions that "The Four Opens" were born. The first public
mention of them was posted on the then-nascent OpenStack Wiki on June 28, mention of them was posted on the then-nascent OpenStack Wiki on June 28,
2010 [#fouropenswiki]_, before OpenStack was even publicly discussed or 2010 [#fouropenswiki]_, before OpenStack was even publicly discussed or
announced. The titles of the Four Opens (Open source, Open Design, Open announced. The titles of the Four Opens (Open Source, Open Design, Open
Development, Open Community) were set from that day. The content evolved a bit Development, Open Community) were set from that day. The content evolved a bit
over time on the Wiki, as implementation details rolled in (for example: public over time on the Wiki, as implementation details rolled in (for example: public
code reviews, design summits, technical committee, lazy and consensus). The code reviews, design summits, technical committee, lazy and consensus). The
Four Opens description is now maintained officially in the OpenStack governance Four Opens description is now maintained officially in the OpenStack governance
web-site [#fouropens]_. website [#fouropens]_ and followed by several projects in the open source
ecosystem.
After eight years, the Four Opens proved pretty resilient, consistently They were instrumental in the success, the quality and the visibility of the
managing to capture the "OpenStack Way" of doing upstream open source OpenStack software as well as the growth of the community from tens of
development. Under their rule, the OpenStack community grew from tens of contributors to thousands over the course of a few years.
contributors to thousands. They were instrumental in the success, the quality
and the visibility of the OpenStack software. As this book will show, they also As this book will show how The Four Opens transform open source into open
proved applicable to downstream activities such as user feedback gathering, collaboration that is essential to create open source software and other
marketing, or event management. As the OpenStack Foundation turns to more artifacts by a group of individuals and organizations who have a set of common
generally support Open Infrastructure, the Four Opens will grow beyond goals and challenges they choose to solve together.
OpenStack. Let's apply them to other nascent open source projects with the same
success.
.. [#fourfreedoms] https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.en.html .. [#fourfreedoms] https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.en.html
.. [#fouropenswiki] https://wiki.openstack.org/w/index.php?title=Open&oldid=9628 .. [#fouropenswiki] https://wiki.openstack.org/w/index.php?title=Open&oldid=9628