There is a school of thought that believes the software world would be better served if run as a free open source market, where collectively the masses of bright engineers would develop advanced tools superior to the products from software giants.
Free is incompatible with the basic human need to “eat, drink and be merry”. I will explain my view as “Collaborative Capitalism” (CC).
CC is the process of development of advanced specialized products by many distinct groups of individuals with a common goal and capitalist motivation, leading to a series of acquisitions by larger groups with a broader product strategy, thus fulfilling capitalist objectives.
CC is a realistic representation of the software industry, and a more efficient model than free open source. CC is the reason the software industry is strong as it is today, and the model which will continue to dominate at least for the short and mid term future.
Some major problems with CC are:
a). Acquired technology is often locked by the acquirer, thus preventing others from benefitting or from completing their own projects. This is perhaps the greatest argument for free open sorce.
b). Technology which is believed to never lead to capitalist goals is never developed. The problem is especially important if the author(s) of such technology are wrong in their valuation of their abandoned ideas.
CC is at the heart of the most successful software companies today.
