by Bill Thompson, BBC
I believe that if we want an open society based around principles of equality of opportunity, social justice and free expression, we need to build it on technologies which are themselves ‘open’, and that this is the only way to encourage a diverse online culture that allows all voices to be heard. But even if you agree with me, deciding what we mean by ‘open’ is far from straightforward: Does it mean an internet built around the end-to-end principle, where any connected computer can exchange data with any other computer and the network itself is unaware of the ‘meaning’ of the bits exchanged? Open source software such as Audacity allows users to contribute to improving code Does it mean computers that will run any program written for them, rather than requiring them to be vetted and approved by gateway companies? Does it mean free software that can be used, changed and redistributed by anyone without payment or permission?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-14217363
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