FOSS is not just about copying other software

[2005-07-27 18:55:16]

In a talkback regarding [GPL vs. Proprietary format][MS Office XML Format], one user said that Open Source for the most part is about replicating existing features. This is a common arguments against the innovative feature of OSS, based mainly in the comparaison of a lot of OSS with there proprietary equivalent. But what about all the other FOSS that doesn't have any proprietary equivalent, or where they were simply copied by proprietary softwares? Frankly, I see much more innovation into the FOSS world than in the commercial world. Yes, part of FOSS is about providing freed equivalent to proprietary solutions, but even that it's often done in an open manner, and those solutions, at least, doesn't have to be reinvented each time you need it in some other projects.

[MS Office XML Format]: http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,1829355,00.aspKeywords: work/oss