La Semaine Québecoise de l’Informatique Libre, which I freely translate to “Québec Week of Free Software”, has begun today. You can see a list of activities on their website, such as Ubuntu install parties or the local celebration of the Software Freedom Day.
Free Software and Open Source Software is at the basis of most of the new craze we see today in the Internet:
- First, by the use of open source frameworks, librairies and software that most developers use to build a website. Apache, MySQL, Linux, php, Ruby on Rails, Django are all popular open sourced software that are commonly used. Without these tools, it is undeniable that we would not have as much innovation as we see today, as engineers and entrepreneurs would have had to buy some kind of proprietary and closed technology, possibly reinventing the wheel each time. Even if you do not deal with technology, you might still use Open Source Software like Firefox or WordPress that are proven to be highly superior to their “commercial” equivalents.
- Second, the Open Source philosophy has gone beyond software, and is more or less the basis of the “web2.0″ movement. Wikipedia, youtube, blogging, citizen journalism, they all give the power back to the individual, who can contribute and make the overall product better.
Even though both movements were and are criticized for lacking “business models”, they are here to stay and individuals, developers, marketers, designers, etc. have to integrate it in their plans. For SQIL, what I found most interesting is the 2-day conference on “Free Culture, innovation by networking” where the Open Source movement’s impact is discusses on the technological and social side. But there are many other happennings in Montréal, so if you have time (and speak french), go to one of panels or activities.
