We’re back at it again, and this time it’s a quick little trip down memory lane. The 2000s, an era associated with old-school hip-hop and questionable fashion trends, also brought a wave of breakthroughs that redefined the development of open source. As the tech-savvy enthusiasts turned the page to the second chapter of the journey, they found themselves gazing into a horizon of infinite possibilities, a time of invention and innovation that laid the seeds for a fodder like no other.
In this edition, we will delve into key developments and influential platforms of the 2000s, exploring how they shaped the future of technology. Stick around as we uncover the relentless effort that forged the foundation of the beloved open source community.
A Commitment to Change:
We find ourselves back on the topic of GitHub, which we briefly touched upon in our last rendition. However, the story of GitHub goes beyond its impressive user base and contribution metrics, telling a tale of innovation and community. GitHub, created in 2008 by Tom Preston-Werner, Chris Wanstrath, PJ Hyett, and Scott Chacon, revolutionized software development to say the least.
GitHub has evolved into more than just a repository hosting service; it is a living, breathing, and thriving ecosystem. With features like GitHub Actions for CI/CD, GitHub Packages for artifact management, and GitHub Codespaces for cloud-based development environments, it has become an indispensable tool for modern software development.
Initially founded in 2007 as ‘Logical Awesome’, a name exuding creativity, the website launched in April of the same year. During this time, the company developed the core features of GitHub: the company blog, per-project wikis, GitHub Gist, and Pages.
What it has become is the result of constant reiterations and improvements through initiatives like GitHub Sponsors, which allows developers to fund their favorite open-source projects, and programs like Hacktoberfest, which encourages contributions from newcomers. Does the name ring a bell?
The integration of AI through GitHub Copilot is transforming coding by providing real-time code suggestions. GitHub has not just adapted to the needs of its users but has anticipated and shaped the future of software development. It stands as a testament to what can be achieved when a platform is built on the principles of openness, collaboration, and innovation. And so, while this chapter of GitHub’s story may draw to a close, the narrative of its impact and evolution continues, promising even more transformative developments in the years to come.
While GitHub has reshaped the landscape of collaborative software development, another groundbreaking tool emerged to revolutionize web design: CSS Flexbox.
No, it’s not magic
While you may scoff at the notion of CSS Flexbox, in 2009 as part of CSS3, this breakthrough was extremely significant, aiming to overcome the limitations of traditional layout methods like floats and tables. It revolutionized web design by offering a more efficient approach to arranging elements while improving flexibility and responsiveness.
What did this mean for your run-of-the-mill developer though? No more complex methods to get the intended layout, no more cumbersome nested tables, and the eradication of the age-old <div> centering dilemma.
A quick refresher on the beauty of Flexbox for those unaware. It solves the tumultuous aforementioned problems by letting us align and arrange elements inside containers freely. It simplifies centering and spacing, so we don't have to use properties like floats or positioning. With Flexbox having transformed layout design, the days of struggling with floats are behind us. This makes the code cleaner and easier to maintain and it helps us create responsive designs without needing lots of complicated code.
The open-source community has significantly advanced Flexbox adoption through accessible resources like tutorials and interactive tools. Major CSS frameworks such as Bootstrap and Foundation have integrated Flexbox and platforms like GitHub foster collaboration through numerous Flexbox-based projects.
So you see, Flexbox is a testament to time, still widely used with ever-increasing applications and is therefore an indispensable tool for web developers. Its rise saw the emergence of a new layout tool in CSS, but that’s a story for another day.
The World Wide Web Wars
This section is going to be a back-and-forth like no other, nonetheless a hallmark in our open source journey. The browser wars began in earnest in 1994, when Marc Andreessen and James H. Clark founded Netscape and released Netscape Navigator. It quickly became the first popular web browser for the general public. Peace didn’t last long however. The competition heated up in 1995 when Microsoft introduced Internet Explorer, built using licensed Mosaic code. This marked the beginning of a fierce rivalry between Netscape and Microsoft.
Netscape responded by developing JavaScript, under the alias Mocha, a programming language that added powerful capabilities to websites. Yet again, Microsoft countered by introducing support for Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), a first in the web page design space. The competition reached a dramatic peak in 1997 when Microsoft released Internet Explorer 4.0.
Microsoft's strategy of bundling Internet Explorer with its Windows operating system seemingly put an end to this feud by 1999, when Internet Explorer had captured around 90% of the browser market, leading to antitrust litigation against Microsoft. In response, Netscape open-sourced its codebase, leading to the creation of the not-for-profit Mozilla Foundation, which released Firefox in 2002.
And fighting from the left corner, Mozilla Firefox!
Well, well, well. Who could have seen this coming? No discussion about the history of open source is complete without the mere mention of Mozilla Firefox. Named after the Red Panda and launched in 2002 to challenge Internet Explorer, Firefox began as the "Phoenix" Project by developers Dave Hyatt and Blake Ross. It aimed to be faster, more user-friendly, and promoted the open web.
At the time, Internet Explorer, Firefox’s biggest competitor, was steadily declining, becoming slow and poorly maintained, yet facing little competition. And by 2010, the inevitable occurred: Firefox and a select few had cut Internet Explorer's market share to 50%, appealing to users with their focus on privacy, security, and customization.
This agility in innovation sharply contrasted with Internet Explorer’s closed-source, corporate-driven model, which led to slower development and, ultimately, its decline. A symbolic moment in IE’s troubled history was the “funeral” held by developers for IE6, highlighting its painful forgotten legacy.
The success of Firefox reignited the browser wars, compelling IE to innovate and improve. This renewed competition later paved the way for other browsers like Google Chrome.
The new kids on the block
During the late 1990s and early 2000s, browsers like Opera, Safari, and Google Chrome made their debuts, each bringing unique features and improvements to the table. In 2015, Microsoft marked the end of an era by replacing Internet Explorer with Microsoft Edge. In recent years, new contenders like Brave and a revamped Opera have emerged, prioritizing security and efficiency for modern users.
May the Source be Open (*T&C apply)
Let's take a break on the nostalgia trip for a bit and talk about today. Open source AI licensing is charting a bold new path, blending the ethos of traditional open-source software with the rapidly evolving world of artificial intelligence. Unlike conventional software, AI models include not just the source code but also the complex trained model weights—massive datasets that stretch the limits of traditional copyright laws. This nascent field is exploring innovative ways to share and utilize these intricate components, redefining the future of open-source AI.
The idea of "derivative works" becomes hazy with AI models. An AI-generated output might resemble the training data, but is it really a derivative work? Copyright law remains vague on this issue, making licensing a tricky terrain.
The role of Open Source Initiative (OSI) Organisation :
Today, the Open Source Initiative, cemented as a global entity, has vowed to sharpen collective knowledge and set an unambiguous definition of AI in the open source landscape. What exactly do they do, you might ask?
1. Crafting the Open Source blueprint: The OSI maintains the Open Source Definition (OSD), ensuring software, including AI projects, adhere to standards of freedom and accessibility.
2. The license gatekeepers: Through meticulously reviewing and approving licenses to align with the OSD, they’re the go-to guides for developers and organizations navigating the open-source licensing maze.
3. The Jedi of Open Source: The OSI advocates for open source principles and educates the public, developers, and organizations about the benefits of using and contributing to open source software, including AI. To protect, they must.
4. House of Code: Forging Open Source Policy: The OSI doesn’t just sit back; they actively engage with policymakers to advocate for laws and regulations that support open source. They tackle intellectual property and patent rights, ensuring a smooth path for AI innovation.
The OSI is actively contributing to the discourse on Open Source AI, laying the groundwork for a future where the principles of openness, transparency, and collaboration continue to underpin the evolution of cutting-edge technologies for the benefit of society as a whole.
It's been a pretty interesting ride huh? From petty battles to foundational advances, open-source in the 2000s has definitely had its highs and lows. The early days of open-source were marked by community-driven initiatives, where developers and tech-enthusiasts came together with a vision for a utopia like no other.
And as we continue to innovate and explore new technological frontiers, the collaborative spirit and shared knowledge that defined the 2000s will remain a guiding force. And in the words of Master Yoda, “always pass on what you have learned”.
May the source be with you!