The author compares the political ideology of communism with Open Source. He points out that both are essential for the society and the technology world. 

This article was originally intended for the Edit column in DeveloperIQ. However, as I started penning my thoughts, I discovered that this might not quite fit in within the page we reserve for the editorial. But before I start, let me take an anticipatory bail from the surfeit of emails which I expect in response to this article.

1)      I use Linux at home and at work, whenever and wherever I require the free operating system.

2)      Python, a pedigree product of Open Source and Free Software, is my favourite programming language, and a language which I use to prototype even when I have to work on Visual Studio.

3)      I admire and idolize some of the biggest names from the Open Source or Free Software world, whether it is Linus Torvalds, Richard Stallman, Eric S Raymond or Guido Von Rossum. And these personalities do get more admiration and adulation from me, than the more successful and bigger names such as Bill Gates or Larry Ellison, the icons of the Commercial Software world.

  Perhaps the seeds of this article were laid when The Inquirer, a British ‘Internet’ tabloid reported that Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer compared Open Source to Communism. I had a laugh at it, when I read the news the first time. Ironically, the topic of discussion today is on Open Source and Communism.

I have reasons to believe that perhaps I have a better experience of the Communist and Marxist way of thinking and approach, when compared to Ballmer, since I was born and brought up in a state where the leftists’ ideologies were always held high. And I believe to a large extent, that there are several similarities to the modern day Marxists and the Open Source Community. Mind you, this is a general statement, and this does not equate Open Source/Free Software to Communism and Marxism. 

The Origins

Let us consider the origins of the political ideology and the technological ideology. The political ideology, which we call as Communism or Marxism or any of the variants generally propounded by leaders such as Stalin or Mao (read Stalinism or Maoism), originated in the mid nineteenth century in Western Europe.

To quote from the Communist Manifesto written by Karl Marx, ‘Communism is the doctrine of the conditions of the liberation of the proletariat’. The proletariat at large represented the working class of nineteenth century Europe. There existed a big difference between the lifestyles of the working class who were always poor, and the rich ruling class often described as bourgeois. The doctrine, which originated as a philosophy, later became a political ideology. The political ideology soon became strong enough to remove empires and emperors in half of Europe and Asia. Once in power, the communists tried to transform the society to an almost utopian world, where the divide between the rich and the poor was drastically reduced, socially and economically. The means chosen in different countries that succumbed to the Communist wave, often ranged from a minor coup to brutal violence were millions were killed.

The origins of Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) are rather a very peaceful process, much like the origins of Marxism and Communism. Open Source originated because the hacker community that developed during the nineteen seventies and eighties wanted to learn more. One way of learning more is by sharing what you have learnt with others and expecting others to do the same. Open Source originated from such needs for a ‘democracy of learning’.

Most hackers in the earlier days were employed by either Universities or R&D labs of large enterprises that paid them a salary to do research. At Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s AI Lab, Richard Stallman and others developed a culture where everyone shared their files and programs. This helped cultivate a learning culture that helped in creating the philosophy of Free Software.

Free Software initially was never meant to replace commercial software or to be a threat to the commercial software world. It was just a philosophy whose subscribers formed a community among themselves and shared whatever they learned or created. In fact, most literature prior to 1993 describes Free Software as a method of learning, more than a method of using computers efficiently.

The Growth

Communism grew because many young people across the globe were attracted to it. They wanted to change the world for themselves and for others. They found support from the masses as well as intellectuals.

In many ways the world of Open Source and Free Software, as we see it, is driven by the exuberance of youth. Check out any of the Linux events, you will find several youngsters with a gleam in their eyes, and in fact you suspect whether some of the (male) speakers at Linux events have even started shaving or not!

Open Source and Free Software attracts young developers and students because of many reasons. It is a revolutionary concept, it talks of ‘freedom’, it talks of power to the user of the software and it implies a level playing field for just about anyone, since there are no restrictions. I remember that many years back, as a fresher in college, it was words and phrases such as ‘freedom’, ‘equality’, ‘power to the masses’ and ‘revolution’ that attracted many of us to the leftist ideology.
The big challenge for the FOSS community is translating the appeal, which it has generated among young developers, to the millions of masses who are very naïve computer users.
Communism and its different variants grew with lot of brutal force once the communists captured power. In countries such as Russia, China, Cambodia and much of East Bloc, the communists in the name of revolution clinically executed millions, through a pogrom of social cleansing. The FOSS community does not have a parallel here. This is because the very doctrine of the community is to provide choice.
 To a great extent, the growth of communism was because there was a common enemy. The working class always envied the small-in-number bourgeois class, which consisted of the rich elite landowners, the big businessmen, industrialists and the royals. The envy turned into hatred and the revolution started. In the technology world, the bourgeois is largely limited to a single company and that is Microsoft. The FOSS community loves to paint a picture that Microsoft is the evil empire and Bill Gates – the Devil incarnate himself. The media, which loves an underdog, has always highlighted every little trend that was positive for FOSS community. The David and Goliath story has been repeated innumerable times.

The Present

Enterprises globally have embraced a large number of Open Source technologies and products. The rivals of Microsoft, such as IBM, Sun Microsystems and Oracle have all invested considerably in Linux or some other FOSS technology. And Microsoft has openly admitted that its enemy No. 1 is Linux and Open Source.
When I try sketching parallels between the Communist history and that of FOSS, I feel that we are in the same stage where the cold war was at its heights. Remember, during the nineteen sixties and seventies, a large number of countries moved to a Communist and Marxist regime. This was popularly called the ‘domino effect’ theory. In the technology arena, the domino effect has happened; quite a few vendors have succumbed to the charms of FOSS, and are strategizing their products and solutions, which see them championing the FOSS cause. Look at the new entrants such as Novell, who are brimming with energy levels, talking of product releases every quarter. The new communist republics of the seventies also brimmed with such confidence levels. Will history repeat itself?

The Future

The capitalist forces won the race in the long run. Neither Soviet bloc nor the Far East could survive decades of isolation, and as the global economy became a reality, there was a reversal of the domino effect. The second world suddenly crumbled, and state controlled economies were replaced with chaotic anarchies moving towards capitalist economies. Old World Communists suddenly embraced capitalism.
And in many places, old world communism was replaced by more pragmatic variants, which advocated a balance between realistic governance and utopian society. In certain countries such as India, Communists have embraced the democratic system, and have participated in elections too for more than five decades.
In the next few years, you will see quite a lot of trends in the FOSS community. Hackers will mature, and evolve into pragmatic businessmen. Free code will never fill stomachs. I guess the idea of Free Software will slowly dissolve into a more matter-of-fact Open Source ideology, where Open Source will be just a feature of a product. There could be much stricter licensing, or even new ideas where better revenue models will evolve. Some of the licenses will be as good or bad as the commercial license which an Adobe or Microsoft has. Yes, the reverse domino effect will happen in the FOSS space too. It is inevitable, and it will be all to do with modification of licenses.
Service providers will use Open Source and alternative technologies (to Microsoft) such as Java to the hilt to make money. IBM has been doing it for six years now. And several other companies are offering Open Source solutions packaged in the service model. This will remain for many years as the best model to make money off Open Source.

Will Open Source ever die?

You may be wondering whether Open Source as a model will ever die? I do not see that happening for the next two decades at least. The erstwhile USSR is history; but has communism died? Has Socialism become an impossible dream? No, it continues on, in the hearts and minds of millions. Open Source technologies and products will survive, since every generation of developers and IT enthusiasts will surrender to the beauty of the FOSS dream. They will use Linux, write code using Perl and Python, and build solutions surrounding Apache and Mono. That is because Open Source offers freedom, power and sense of pride to a user, which the commercial software world can never offer!

Will Open Source dominate commercial software? The answer is No!  There are a few issues with the Open Source model - since it depends a lot on volunteers and a very democratic way of taking decisions, it is unlikely that Open Source software can keep pace with a comparable commercial product. If you try accelerating an Open Source project then it is likely that the democratic decision making model will be replaced by a more autocratic model where an individual or two will take the calls.

The Mainframe effect

In the late nineties I often used to hear news of the death of Mainframes. Obituaries were written by some of most respected technology pundits. With the Y2K bomb ticking away there were speculations that enterprises will scrap the Big Irons they owned and opt for much more cheaper and open client-server systems. IBM still sells those big boxes, and there seems to be no end to it. This is because enterprises that invested millions during the early days of computing wanted to protect their investments. As you read this, hundreds of large enterprises are contemplating moving some of the lesser of mission critical applications on to a Linux or an Apache based system. By the end of 2006, there will be many such major investments done. These enterprises will then try to protect their investments made in Open Source software by actively donating and even writing code to keep the flame glowing.

Bringing in the masses

I do not see Open Source going beyond the servers in some large enterprises. This is because the hackers, while creating those wonderful pieces of software, have limited their creations to the smarter of computer users. I see myself surviving on Open Source and still being able to do most of the tasks I do with the computer with mixed levels of efficiency. But I somehow do not see my wife doing that; and this is because she is less inclined towards technology. It is tough to imagine her downloading software off the Web, changing their access levels, making shell scripts and installing RPMs.

If the FOSS community has to come closer to realize the dream of beating the software bourgeois, then they need to create a free or cheap desktop operating system, that is as easy to use as a Macintosh or a Windows PC. The communists succeeded because of their ability to bring masses to the forefront by force or through sheer inspiration.

Why Communists are essential to our society?

In the new economy, the leftist ideologists have been reduced to just being watch dogs. And they do a brilliant job of it too! Imagine what we would have been paying for many essential goods used by the common man, if the communists did not have a say in the economic policy. In a country like India, where the leftist parties account for about ten percent of the national parliament, they are often ridiculed and described as hindrance to the reform policy. However their voices, which do not make any sense to an investor, is important for the society.

Why FOSS needs to survive?

Competition always brings in innovations! And in most cases it assures tremendous value-for-money to the customer. Monopoly is never good for any society. Thanks to the FOSS movement, the choice always exists with users of Information Technology. If Apache never existed, you would have been paying extra for Microsoft IIS. If Java (though not a FOSS product) never existed, Microsoft would have charged you for the Dot Net SDK. If PHP and Perl never existed, Microsoft would have never given you WebMatrix for free. If Linux never evolved, Microsoft perhaps would never have thought about a cheap starter operating system for emerging markets. There are many more examples. If there was no Free and Open Source software, then you may not have had as many open standards as what we have today. A user of commercial software definitely needs to thank the Open Source world, for providing that competition which is forcing many vendors to offer better value-for-money solutions.

End Note

Many people who develop and use commercial software view FOSS with a squinted vision. Many cannot understand why a geek should get excited about something that is not as easy to use, when compared to the commercial variant. They also are never able to understand how someone can think of making money off something that he or she cannot realistically own (any more than the next guy who downloads it).

The answer lies in the same reasons why communist ideologies were and are still embraced by many. It lies in the spirit. If the commercial software world wants to completely beat FOSS, then it needs to break that spirit! And that I guess is never going to be possible!