The Royal Way (1)

How can a novel like The Royal Way, written by Malraux, 1 help to buoy your spirits while you are writing about open source software?  Perhaps it is the non-conformist spirit of the two protagonists in the book, or the fact that they dedicated their lives to an adventure, one which took them on an ancient route dotted with Khmer temples buried under thick vegetation?  Or maybe it is the pleasure at discovering a book which, thanks to its exotic story and universal themes helps you to escape from your own reality for at least a little while? Open source software touches on all of these ideas:  it is at once an adventure off the beaten path (represented in most cases by Microsoft), and a non-conformist fighting against the laws of the market in order to preserve its ideals of free software and collaboration.  Open source software is also  about the joy of discovery manifested in getting to know the extraordinary number of ideas, software and events bubbling throughout the community.  This, even more than the obvious economic advantages of free software, are what makes its proponent so passionate about the subject. In simpler terms, this blog is a voyage into the open source software universe, seen primarily (although not exclusively) from the viewpoint of a modern digital business that has embraced collaboration when choosing all of its technological tools. For five years I have been an active and interested participant in the world of open source software, and there is a single image that sums it up quite well in my mind:  someone wandering, thirsty, under the hot sun, walking down a path bordered on each side by thick vegetation.  Someone who cannot see that just on the other side of the vines and trees there flows a roaring river....The marketing strategy of proprietary software solutions is so effective, the economic power of its primary producers (Microsoft, Oracle, Apple, SAP, etc) is so strong in our IT universe that we have been literally blinded to the riches offered by open source software. Until next time, Serge Martel

1. 1. The Royal War, Malraux, Andre, Éditions Grasset, Paris, 1930.  Winner of the first Interallié prize.