All Open Strategy

Modern Telecom operators follow an All IP strategy: all networks are transformed into networks talking internet protocols. That is actually a revolution. As an analogy of this strategy, I'm proposing an All Open strategy for Public and Private organizations. What does it mean? It means that all company infrastructures are based on open standards (IP), open source (OS) and open content (OC). Of course, there will always be some exceptions, as not all solutions are available on the right level yet. But, in general, it is a strategy worthwhile to pursue as it lowers costs, it stimulates further the development of OS and OC, and it improves the stability and effectiveness of these infrastructures, globally.

What does it mean today?
- Use Linux not only on the server-side but also on the desktop. Some pain is still here: the desktop systems are not always on parity with MS Windows. But, thanks to the Netbook, Linux is really boosted and child diseases are likely to be solved in 1-2 years
- Develop server applications using LAMP: Linux, Apache, MySQL and Perl/PhP and other open source development platforms.
- If your company produces software and content, provide these under an OS or OC license.
- Of course, all company infrastructures should be IP based. (But, that is hardly a challenge nowadays)
- Prefer to purchase OS and OC solutions, in stead of proprietary solutions. Ask your suppliers to provide software and content under an OS or OC license.

If this happens, the world will become a better place, because these infrastructures will also be available for free to individuals and organizations in developing countries.

Is DMOZ a living corpse?

DMOZ is the open directory project, that Google is also using as a source for its indexing activities. However, the quality and completeness of DMOZ is far from optimal. And the openness of the system to user input is very limited.

Many suggestions later, I can say that editors seem to be ignoring useful user input. It gives the impression if the involved editors are overloaded or not really interested at all. Very different from how Wikipedia is run by the community of users and the organizing foundation.

So, it is clearly an area, where things are susceptible for improvement. Although, I saw a Wikipedia.org initiative in this direction as well, it is not actively promoted on Wikipedia's website.

Google pressures Microsoft with Chrome and Android

Basically, there are two major investors in open source: Sun who was beaten by Linux and decided to adopt an open source strategy as the most effective strategy to beat Microsoft. Actually, Sun was recently convincing Microsoft to slowly start supporting Linux as well as an OS for its Office applications. And the other company is - do no evil - Google that was first sponsoring Firefox (the revenge of Netscape's mozilla code) and now its own open source browser: Chrome. And funny enough, Chrome seems to have incorporated also some open source Microsoft code. If Microsoft can be slowly converted into an open source-loving company, the major "evil" force on the desktop has been churned into something great for human-kind.
Another major open source move of Google is Android for mobile devices. Linux is already after Symbian a majore mobile operating system. The Android move can bolster the position of OS on mobile devices.