In the most recent class discussion in the comp-491 seminar, we reviewed the tools which are used for the communication of open source communities. From mailing list, IRC chat to Slack, there are a plethora of different tools which are employed to connect these communities. With the consideration of the foundations of open-source, a question stands: can an open-source project rightly employ a propriety tool for communication or does that threaten the nature of open-source?
I contest that while an open-source tool would be ideal, one cannot confine themselves to a particular mode when other, better tools exist. While I do not have much experience in IRC at this time, I do have a comedic 1200 emails in my inbox at the time of writing this, and I have lived the life in a large firm of having important emails being buried under a wave of unimportant. Tools like mailing lists have their place but their roots are from a time when the faculties of the internet were much different: when tools for a chat were constrained to protocols existing at the time. There is a place for it but, perhaps, that place is not as the main tool.
When choosing a tool for communication on an open-source project, it is my belief that one must act with open-source ideals, such as the 4 freedoms, in mind, but that person must not neglect better options as they might do more for the project. Therefore I propose the following:
-
If the best is open, go open
-
If there is a tie between the closed and open options, go open
-
If the best option is closed, consider it, use it - but prepare for flak
Yes, I think I can tell what you’re thinking, if we don’t act with the ideals on which open-source was built, we are doing a disservice to the community. This is true, but it is not forever - just until a better, open-source tool comes along to replace it.