Closed source

Closed source until a few years ago has been an integral part of commercial software development. It means that the customer will only get a binary version of the computer program they licensed and no copy of the program's source code, rendering modifications to the software practically impossible from the technical side, because the usual way to modify a program is to edit its source code and then compile it.

The source code in this development model is regarded a trade secret of the company, so parties that may get source code access, such as colleges, have to sign NDAss in advance.

In the 1970s, the operating system UNIX, which was available freely and with complete source code, became common in university computing centers. Users made enhancements to the operating system and applications and distributed them among themselves without restrictions.

People like Richard Stallman were used to the openness of this hacker culture, and thus it came as an unpleasant surprise when more and more skilled programmers left academia to found their own companies and market their software, no longer giving their peers source code access.

Richard Stallman saw closed source as a step backwards in terms of user freedom and founded the GNU project in the mid 1980s, whose GPL-licensed software may never again be released without source code availability.

Closed source still dominates commercial software development, but in the last few years through the success of open source projects like Linux, KDE, and Apache corporate thinking has undergone a transformation.

Today, some corporations have recognized that closed and open source projects can complement each other, as is evidenced for instance by Sun Microsystems' move to develop their office suite, StarOffice, in parallel with its open source incarnation, OpenOffice.org. This is seen as a gain for corporate image and may be a good way to attract new talent.

In the News

New Clues Add 40,000 Years To Age Of Human Species
Nearly 40 years after an historic anthropology expedition to Ethiopia's Lake Turkana basin, researchers have uncovered evidence suggesting human bones found at that time are roughly 195,000 years old. The researchers believe the findings may bolster the "Out-of-Africa"hypothesis that suggests we all trace to an ancient line that first evolved in Africa and then displaced other hominids as recently as 50,000 years ago.

'Use It Or Lose It': New Theory About Preserving Erectile Function Aft
Erectile dysfunction after surgery to remove the prostate (radical prostatectomy) has traditionally been attributed to nerve damage that theoretically should heal over time. But it can take as long as two years for the nerves to recover enough for a man to have an erection without the aid of drugs or devices. By that time, other damage may have occurred, according to an article in the latest issue of Perspectives on Prostate Disease.

UCSD-Utah Team Develops Mouse Model To Test Therapies For Macular Deg
Researchers at the UCSD School of Medicine and the University of Utah have developed a mouse model of Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of blindness in people over age 55, and Stargardt Macular Degeneration (STGD), a form of the disease that affects children and young adults.

'Domesticated' Microbes Flex Industrial Muscle
A range of tangy and tart flavor compounds in hundreds of popular food and beverage products worldwide are the resultof friendly fermentative microorganisms that carry out a variety of key biosynthetic processes. Now, a consortium of public, private and academic researchers -- including three with the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) -- has decoded the DNA of nine representative strains of lactic acid-producing bacteria, or LAB.

Largest North America Climate Change In 65 Million Years, Study Shows
The largest climate change in central North America since the age of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago, a temperature drop of nearly 15 degrees Fahrenheit, is documented within the fossilized teeth of horses and other plant-eating mammals, a new study reveals.

... LII New This Week: June 16, 2005
Get ready for Bloomsday, explore an autopsy, then learn about the Patriot Act, drug safety, the Congress of Racial Equality, Edgar Ray Killen, Emmett Till, lightning, Paul Laurence Dunbar, and more. In More New This Week, read up on carbon sequestration, self-mutilation, and other polysyllabic curiosities. Bon appetit from the LII team: librarian-editors Karen, Wendy, Jennifer, Maria, Pat, Tom, Charlotte, and our 100-and-change contributors.

Scientists Use An 'Ice Lolly' To Find Polar Bacteria In Their Own Back
To study the bacteria which survive in extreme cold, scientists no longer have to go to extreme environments, such as Antarctic lakes and glaciers. Bacteria previously isolated from polar climates, and have properties which allow them to survive in extreme cold, have been isolated from soil in temperate environments.

PET Scan Shows During Treatment If Radiation Is Shrinking Lung Tumor,
Lung cancer patients may not need to wait till their radiation treatment is over to know if it worked. A PET scan several weeks after starting radiation treatment for lung cancer can indicate whether the tumor will respond to the treatment, according to a new study.

Online Test To Discover If You Were Born To Be Sad
Researchers at the University of Manchester are testing our genetic disposition to depression with a unique Internet test.

Slashdot's CmdrTaco Rob Malda Looks Back at 10 Years of 'News for Nerd
The popular site hits the decade mark this month, with geek celebrations popping up all around the country. Check out Wired News' interview with Slashdot founder Rob Malda.

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