01501nas a2200121   4500008004100000022001400041245002900055210002900084260004200113520117400155100001501329856003501344       2007                        eng d  a1913-610200aOpen Source as Community0 aOpen Source as Community  aOttawabTalent First Networkc09/20073 aWhat does it really mean to participate in an open source software community? If a company's open source strategy is limited to acting as end user of open source software, is there a business need to understand the nature of open source communities? Should it be the goal of all businesses to become an active participant in open source communities, or become recognized as a significant contributor?

Business users of open source software can broadly be divided into those who use open source software as end-users, and those who incorporate underlying open source technology into their products and services. This article will first address both these groups with the important facets of understanding and evaluating community in the selection of open source software, and then elaborate on the role of active participation in open source communities to enhance the value that can be obtained from the use of open source. It is based upon lessons I've learned from becoming progressively involved in a particular open source software community, Tikiwiki, and comparisons with other open source communities which I've made to identify commonalities and differences.1 aKo, Nelson  uhttp://timreview.ca/article/78