Open source software can be found in a huge number of businesses' stacks. Whether it’s to save on expensive software, to fix a problem that a devoted hobbyist has a solution for, or because of its lively developer community, open source solutions run throughout the tech sector.
However, in recent years security concerns have damaged the perception of open source software and vulnerabilities like Log4Shell left some IT leaders with headaches they aren’t keen to repeat. As the market expands, some open source developers find themselves under more pressure than ever before and questions have been raised around the duty of larger firms to help support the community they rely on.
In this episode, Jane and Rory speak to Keumars Afifi-Sabet, features editor at IT Pro and our specialist covering open source, to discuss the challenges facing the open source community and ask whether it will survive in its current form.
Highlights
“There are lots of open source software out there that might only have one or two maintainers working on them. And maybe one day they decide they don't want to do it anymore, and they start a new project. But by this point, thousands of companies might be using it. So you get into a position where who's maintaining this piece of software?”
“Because there's been this history of animosity from corporations like Google, like Amazon, AWS, towards the open source ecosystem, maintainers are inherently a little bit untrustworthy of this involvement and the growing influence of curation.”
“As Amanda Brock put it, who is the CEO of OpenUK, for open source either the community wins in the next five years, or it loses, and everything collapses.”
Read the full transcript here.
Footnotes
- What is open source?
- Existential tensions put open source on path to crisis point
- What is the Log4Shell vulnerability?
- Open source in open rebellion - can Google bring peace to the developer community?
- Microsoft Azure CTO hails 'most loved' Rust as the successor to C and C++
- Open source leaders call for permanent government funding package
- Linux Foundation unveils ‘World of Open Source’ research initiative
- Google unveils new Assured Open Source Software service
- Meta passes PyTorch ownership to Linux Foundation in a bid to improve transparency
- Daphne's Catflap
Subscribe
-
M&S suspends online sales as 'cyber incident' continuesNews Marks & Spencer (M&S) has informed customers that all online and app sales have been suspended as the high street retailer battles a ‘cyber incident’.
-
Manners cost nothing, unless you’re using ChatGPTOpinion Polite users are costing OpenAI millions of dollars each year – but Ps and Qs are a small dent in what ChatGPT could cost the planet
-
AWS expands language support for Amazon Q DeveloperNews AWS has expanded support for languages in Amazon Q Developer, making it easier for developers to code in their first language.
-
AI was a harbinger of doom for low-code solutions, but peaceful coexistence is possible – developers still love the time savings and simplicity despite the allure of popular AI coding toolsNews The impact of AI coding tools on the low-code market hasn't been quite as disastrous as predicted
-
‘We’re trading deep understanding for quick fixes’: Junior software developers lack coding skills because of an overreliance on AI tools – and it could spell trouble for the future of developmentNews Junior software developers may lack coding skills because of an overreliance on AI tools, industry experts suggest.
-
GitHub's new 'Agent Mode' feature lets AI take the reins for developersNews GitHub has unveiled the launch of 'Agent Mode' - a new agentic AI feature aimed at automating developer activities.
-
Shadow AI is creeping its way into software development – more than half of developers admit to using unauthorized AI tools at work, and it’s putting companies at riskNews Enterprises need to create smart AI usage policies that balance the benefits and risks
-
Python just brushed past JavaScript to become the most popular programming language on GitHub – and a key factor is that AI developers love itNews The meteoric rise of Python shows no sign of stopping
-
JupyterLab review: A powerful tool for documenting your data science journeyReviews Literate programming toolkit takes dynamic code documents to new heights
-
Embracing CI/CD and DevOps cultureITPro Podcast Without proper communication, businesses won’t fully benefit from CI/CD
