Resolve conflict with "Open Source" misuse and identify better terminology

[chadwhitacre]

In #4 we're writing a new license as a first step. The bigger idea is a new brand other than Open Source to represent our values of user freedom and developer sustainability. What might it be?

Update (@dcramer): The intent here is to normalize a category of software which provides more freedom than closed source, and more freedom than typical source-available software. It should not diminish the value of FOSS (or OSI's definition of "Open Source"), but should also not be overly confusing to end-users, and not include prejudice.

Conclusion

We're moving forward with "Fair Source" in fairsource/fair.io#9. 👀

[chadwhitacre]

Sustainable Access Software

[chadwhitacre]

Turns out the US DoD has an opinion. 😏

Q: Is there a name for software whose source code is publicly available, but does not meet the definition of open source software?
At this time there is no widely-accepted term for software whose source code is available for review but does not meet the definition of open source software (due to restrictions on use, modification, or redistribution). Terms that people have used include “source available software”, “open-box software”, “visible-source software”, and “disclosed-source software”. (Such terms might include open source software, but could also include other software).

[chadwhitacre]

Keygen is an open, source-available software licensing and distribution API, built for developers, by developers.

Seeing this on https://keygen.sh/ from @ezekg ... "open, source-available" really toeing the line! 😅

[chadwhitacre]

Codecov++ is now _________ ____________

How I think of this is, what are we gonna use for our next headline?

[chadwhitacre]

functional source - everything a developer needs to use and learn from the software

From private Slack

[chadwhitacre]

i feel any name needs "source" as the 2nd word (needs to feel like an alternative to "open source"), ideally has just 2 words (more memorable, rolls off the tongue, etc), and somehow the first word needs to do a lot of heavy lifting in communicating how this is different ... functional source hits those pretty well

[chadwhitacre]

But "Free Software" ... second term "software"?

[ljharb]

Any qualifier to "source" or "software" needs to also not be implying anything inaccurate or negative about the other Sources and Softwares out there, I think.

[chadwhitacre]

Hrm, I guess "Superior Source" is out then. 😏

[chadwhitacre]

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/sharedsource/
https://microsoft.fandom.com/wiki/Shared_source
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shared_Source_Initiative

Would MS want to participate in a "Shared Source" revival? 🤔

[chadwhitacre]

Also quite parallel: Fair Source License

https://boyter.org/2016/08/gpl-time-bomb-interesting-approach-foss-licensing/
https://about.gitlab.com/blog/2016/03/24/gitlab-look-at-the-fair-source-license/
https://writing.kemitchell.com/2016/03/30/First-Read-of-the-Fair-Source-License
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10621933

[chadwhitacre]

Hearing some votes for Sustainable Source around the office.

[chadwhitacre]

I am reminded of Fair-code (different than Fair Source) by @ezekg in https://keygen.sh/blog/all-your-licensing-are-belong-to-you/. Keygen and Sentry both make the cut! 💃 It is actively maintained, as well; Codecov and Hashi are both listed.