I was browsing in Safeways this morning when I came across an intersting article in New Scientist. It was about how the idea of Open Source software has started to spill over into other areas of commerce. An example given was Open Coke, a new brand of Cola for which the recipe is published under a licence similar the GPL. It also mentioned the OAL (Open Audio Licence) which is attempting to do something similar in the world of music.
Ian
On Sat, 2 Feb 2002, Ian Bell wrote:
I was browsing in Safeways this morning when I came across an intersting article in New Scientist. It was about how the idea of Open Source software has started to spill over into other areas of commerce. An example given was Open Coke, a new brand of Cola for which the recipe is published under a licence similar the GPL. It also mentioned the OAL (Open Audio Licence) which is attempting to do something similar in the world of music.
Even the article itself claimed to be the first article in a major US/UK magazine to be released as open source, inviting people to cannibalise and repost...overall though, much better things are said (and actually, more engaging) about free software on this list, anyday. Seems to me NS are trying to get the 20something (now near to 30something, to be sure) back. Though did they ever have it?
[end cynical NS subscriber rant]
DC
david casal --0+ --- d.casal@uea.ac.uk --9+ --- www.ariada.uea.ac.uk/~dcasal --)+
On Sat, 2 Feb 2002, Ian Bell wrote:
I was browsing in Safeways this morning when I came across an intersting article in New Scientist. It was about how the idea of Open Source software has started to spill over into other areas of commerce. An example given was Open Coke, a new brand of Cola for which the recipe is published under a licence similar the GPL. It also mentioned the OAL (Open Audio Licence) which is attempting to do something similar in the world of music.
Ancient thread, I know, but I don't check ALUG as often as I should.
Anyway, the new edition of Dungeons and Dragons (3) has a thing called an Open Gaming License which is being taken up enthusiastically. The idea is that all rules are open content, and reference-able/reproducible in other work, but descriptive text can be closed. This is giving all kinds of benefits.
A lot of the tables and rules seem to be accessible in electronic format, allowing programs like PCGen fast and simple access.
Anyhow, I think this is a classic example of how a traditionally proprietary market has reaped huge rewards from using the open model. About 3-4 companies seem to have sprung up to supply DD3 sourcebooks, in contrast to previous years where TSR (deceased) rigidly controlled (choked) what other companies were allowed to supply.
Alexis -- "The observer IS the observed! There is NO DIVISION between the CONTENT of consciousness and CONSCIOUSNESS ITSELF!" - Peekaboo, 'Rose is Rose' "I'm not young enough to know everything" - JM Barrie Sometimes the blind man sees clearest.
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Alexis -
david casal -
Ian Bell