:08:00
[ Where did the ideas that lead to what is now
called Open Source world?
:08:04
How did that begin? Who began that? ]
:08:07
It actually began with the start
of computers because at that time
:08:12
software was just passed around between people
:08:15
And I think it was only like in the
lates 70's or early 80's
:08:22
That people started really closing up
their software,
:08:26
And saying, "No, you can never
get a look at the source code.
:08:30
You can't change the software
even if it's necessary
:08:34
for you to fix it, for your own application"
:08:39
And... um, you can actually blame
some of that on Microsoft,
:08:44
They are one of the real pioneers
of the proprietary software model.
:08:49
In the mid 1970's, a group of hackers
:08:52
and computer hobbyist in Silicon Valley
formed the "Homebrew Computer Club".
:08:58
In the club January 31, 1976 newsletter,
:09:02
Bill Gates of the recently formed Microsoft,
:09:06
wrote an open letter to the community
:09:08
where he made a point by point argument for
the relatively new concept of proprietary software
:09:16
up to that point, the practice of computer users
had been to freely pass around software
:09:21
with not much thought given to
its ownership
:09:25
Known as An Open Letter to Hobbyists,
Bill Gates writes,
:09:28
"To me the most critical thing
in the hobby market right now
:09:31
is the lack of good software courses,
books and software itself.
:09:35
Without good software and an owner
who understands programming,
:09:39
A hobby computer is wasted.
:09:41
Will quality software be written
for the hobby market?
:09:45
Gates goes on to write,
"The feedback we have gotten from
:09:48
the hundreds of people who say they are
using BASIC has all been positive.
:09:52
Two surprising things are apparent, however.
:09:55
1) Most of these "users" never
bought BASIC, and
:09:58
2) The amount of royalties we have received
from sales to hobbyists