Looking back at the history of open source software, there’s certainly a lot to be proud of.
The field of FOSS has overcome many obstacles and dispelled opposing views. It has ultimately proven its value and made open source the majority’s preferred method of software development.
As far as FOSS has come however, there are still many other challenges that open source developers have yet to overcome. While open source development may no longer be plagued by opposition, its rampant adoption has revealed a new set of challenges– challenges which developers must not only be aware of but must act upon in order to keep FOSS moving in the right direction.
Security Issues
Probably the most pressing of these issues are those concerning security. It’s become very easy for developers to reuse open source code without really considering the challenges it may present to enterprises. Many times enterprises no longer track their open source code. As a consequence, patches are rarely kept up-to-date and any security vulnerability associated with the code remains unseen and unresolved. It’s important for the security of enterprises that their applications containing open source code be accompanied with proper tracking so bugs can be found and fixed right away.
Update Problems
Another issue revolves around software updates. Often there are several versions of an application that can be downloaded manually. This can lead companies to use several different versions of the same software, which in turn results in performance and compatibility problems. To avoid such problems it’s important for companies to have a formal policy when it comes to selecting and approving open source code. Apart from this, open source developers should also make it easy for users to obtain the latest updates.
License Compliance
Licenses vary among open source projects. Some are more restrictive than others, requiring that code be distributed under the same license. Some projects change licenses over the years. These incidents can make complying with licenses difficult or problematic. While it is the responsibility of enterprises to track their open source code and licenses, developers for their part should make it easy to comply with license provisions.
Corporate Influence
Many of today’s open source contributors are either fully employed by a company or are sponsored by one. While this is a good thing for developers and can impact open source projects positively, there’s also the real possibility of these employer businesses having too much influence on projects– steering project goals more towards what benefits them rather than what benefits the community as a whole.
Lack of Diversity
While some have taken action in order to increase diversity within their projects, current diversity statistics throughout the open source field are still far from ideal. There have been more females involved in open source in recent years, but this involvement along with the inclusion of various cultures and ethnicities can still be much improved.
These are among the most prevalent challenges that open source projects are facing today. Behind each challenge however, is an opportunity for developers to make not only their respective projects but the entirety of open source even better than before.
It would be best to just leave open-source development as merit-based. All are invited, but few will be chosen. It is the quality of the work, not the individual, that shall determine who contributes to open-source.
That is why open-source works. All merit-based systems produce the best of the best. Diversity is just another name for prejudice. If one is truly blind to individual differences, they will not consider anything but whose work is the best.