Open at Adobe

There are frillions of ways to get past obstacles in embracing open source inside of companies. Unfortunately, as the comic shows, most often, the choices lead us back to where we were in the first place.

(And Thanks to Jay Dyke for letting me use this image! Go visit him and Indy and Tigey now! )

It still amazes me how many people on both sides of the open source fence end up back in the same place.  Within companies, "We can't use open source because our needs are too hard" or  "We can't open source that because we'll lose our customers". means business as usual. Within open source ranks: "Use or just don't bother" or " You're evil because you won't give me exactly what I want" means labeling as an evil company.

In short, frillions of ways, but only one path.

Open source is a lot more flexible than that, though.  It's not one size, or one way. It's bespoke tailoring, in spite of the noise. And fortunately, we can choose our  own paths.

As I've stated in an earlier blog, I think that freedom can mean multiple things. At Adobe, we don't necessarily follow the one true open source way. While open source is a great way to develop code, there is not just one way to open source. We tend to be a community ourselves, with our own cliches, personalities and opinions. We often try to make our own way. We look at open source as to what's the drive and reason. And we pick our approaches to open source with a unique review each time.

In the platform and developer unit, we're believers in open source, but even then, we're approaching it cautiously. We need to learn how the interfaces at the boundaries will work, and whether it's in everyones best interests.

You'll note that we use a number of licenses, from MPL to BSD, and even some hanger-on of the Adobe source license. Again, we'll pick the right tool for the right job, not assume  that every item requires a hammer. (yes, bad humor there, please don't hit me ).

Anyway, keep in mind that any company, and every individual should consider that there are frillions of ways around the blockage. Find your own way, and respect the way other pick.