Whats so special about Open Source?
What we initially found, and continue to find, attractive about Linux and many other such Open Source projects is the crucial distinction between process and product, Open Source embodying the former, commercial software the later; the role that transparency and accountability play in providing software that is released for use solely according to its readiness for redistribution (which is largely attributable to the fact that the contributors’ reputations depend upon it); and finally, the fact the all aspects of development take place in the open, where it is subjected to the perpetual scrutiny of thousands of participants and observers. Transparency in process, and personal accountability for results, engender respect and, ultimately, trust in a given software package. Trust is an integral part of privacy and security; not blind trust or the wishful thinking, but the kind of confidence that arises from the knowledge that, if not you, then other people are looking out for your interes
