Why is it that too often Open Source and Open Standards are used in the same breath? or interchangeably? Is it people just jockeying venaculars around to the point of confusion, or do people actually relate the two?
I have been at the OSBC conference now for the last two days, and I have seen numerous examples of this confusion taking place, even with the highly educated audience that is in attendance.
Lets set a few things straight, Open Standards are standards that allow for open adoption of protocols and methodologies to accomplish a goal. Such as exchange of any segmental information, whether it be user, orders, etc.
Open Source is a movement centered around the releasing of previously undisclosed or obviscated code to the general public and the creation and maintenance of a developer and user community that fosters improvement.
Open Source can occur without Open Standards, likewise software that is proprietary can support Open Standards. Too often people equate Open Source with Open Standards, and unfortunately that is not the case. It should be a prerequisite for the moniker of Open Source, but it is not. I hope the industry clears up the distinctions for the two, and places some requirements around the use of the Open Source terminology, if it doesn’t the industry may fall into a hole that it may find very difficult to climb out of.
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