How Software is Built

Interviewers: Scott Swigart and Sean Campbell

Interviewee: Joe Brockmeier.

In this interview we talk with Joe. In specific, we talk about:

• Where openSUSE fits into the desktop Linux landscape
• Relationships between openSUSE and SUSE Linux Enterprise Server and upstream projects
• The effect of commercial agreements on open source projects
• The future roadmap for openSUSE

• Bringing together technical and non-technical users in open source projects
• Coordinating testing and bug fixes among distros and upstream projects
• Design coherence among distributed developers

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Interviewers: Scott Swigart and Sean Campbell

Interviewees: Brian and Larry, and Michael.

In this interview we talk with Brian, Larry, and Michael. In specific, we talk about:

• OpenID’s offerings for decentralized online identity management
• Securing online identity: technology and beyond
• Aggregating identity information for multiple resources
• Spurring adoption by developers, service providers, and web sites
• Responding to objections about centralized identity management
• Closed source versus open source credibility
• The future of online identity management

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Interviewers: Scott Swigart and Sean Campbell

Interviewees: Keith and David

In this interview we talk with Keith and David. In specific, we talk about:

• Background: a high-energy physics project at the South Pole
• Open source software for highly specialized uses
• Sharing code and architecture among research projects
• Systems reliability in a harsh environment
• Cyclical data analysis and system calibration
• Life at the South Pole

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Interviewers: Scott Swigart and Sean Campbell

Interviewee: Gabor Cselle

In this interview we talk with Gabor Cselle. In specific, we talk about:

• Deciding between open and closed development models
• Strategies around handling QA challenges effectively
• Maintaining high usability and user security
• Business models and corporate customers as opposed to individual users
• The relationship between open-source and commercial software
• The value of avoiding feature creep

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Interviewers: Scott Swigart and Sean Campbell

Interviewee: Helio Chissini de Castro

In this interview we talk with Helio Chissini de Castro. In specific, we talk about:

• The open source environment in Brazil
• The strengths of Mandriva Linux
• Organization and maintenance of Mandriva
• The future of open source software in Latin America

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Interviewers: Scott Swigart and Sean Campbell

Interviewee: Katie Parlante

In this interview we talk with Katie Parlante. In specific, we talk about:

• Open Source Applications Foundation and the evolution of Chandler
• Transition at an open source project when a founder leaves
• Chandler releases and feedback from users
• Maintaining inspiration and enthusiasm at OSAF
• On the necessity of bolstering the role of the designer

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Interviewers: Scott Swigart and Sean Campbell

Interviewee: Bjorn Freeman-Benson

In this interview we talk with Bjorn Freeman-Benson. In specific, we talk about:

• Breadth of projects at the Eclipse Foundation
• Coexistence between commercial and non-commercial interests
• The Eclipse plug-in architecture
• The developer audience and how it influences operations
• Schedule-driven release cycles as a control process
• Providing guidance to open source projects

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Interviewers: Scott Swigart and Sean Campbell

Interviewee: Ben Chelf

In this interview we talk with Ben Chelf from Coverity. In specific, we talk about:

• Scanning the worldwide open source code base for vulnerabilities
• The necessity of automating defect identification
• Building scalability into code analysis
• Overcoming the limitations of automatic scanning
• The hubris of believing too much in your code
• The difficulty of appearing objective
• The changing face of code security and analysis

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Interviewers: Scott Swigart and Sean Campbell

Interviewee: Hadar Pedhazur

In this interview we talk with Hadar Pedhazur from Opticality Ventures. In specific, we talk about:

• The investment viability of open source companies
• Innovation around open source business models
• Customer value derived from visible source
• The potential concerns around the open source investment bandwagon
• Mixed source business models
• The future of commercial open source

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Interviewers: Scott Swigart and Sean Campbell

Interviewee: Mark Kortekass

In this interview we talk with Mark Kortekaas from CBS. In specific, we talk about:

• Choosing and implementing technologies for the production environment
• Relationships with open source communities
• Tailoring the organization for maximum benefit from open source
• Building infrastructure for capacity and agility
• Future-looking, cloud-aware data centers

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Interviewers: Scott Swigart and Sean Campbell

Interviewee: Kevin Kluge

In this interview we talk with Kevin Kluge from Zimbra. In specific, we talk about:

• Zimbra’s history and finding a niche
• Profitability, ownership, and managing commercial products
• Interacting with the community
• Source code availability and its impact on the public
• Managing customer needs and usability

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Interviewers: Scott Swigart and Sean Campbell

Interviewee: Wade Olson

In this interview we talk with Wade Olson from the KDE project. In specific, we talk about:

• Background of KDE and comparison to GNOME
• Ensuring usability in an open source project
• Managing interoperability among components
• Impact of commercial acquisition of open source projects
• Cross-platform support in KDE
• Reaction to KDE 4 public release

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Interviewers: Scott Swigart and Sean Campbell

Interviewee: Leon Shklar

In this interview we talk with Leon Shklar - EVP of Media Technology for Reuters. In specific, we talk about:

• Moving Reuters.com to an open source stack
• Choosing and supporting open source software
• Making code changes to open source packages
• Licenses and governance in open source projects
• The perception and reality of open source companies

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Interviewers: Scott Swigart and Sean Campbell

Interviewee: Jim Gettys

In this interview we talk with Jim Gettys - VP of Software Engineering on the OLPC project. In specific, we talk about:

• OLPC base systems software
• OLPC user-facing software
• Platform innovation for the developing world
• Future directions for the OLPC platform
• Engaging kids with OLPC and open software

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Interviewers: Scott Swigart and Sean Campbell

Interviewee: Brad Wilson

In this interview we talk with Brad Wilson - Software Developer in Microsoft’s OfficeLabs team. In specific, we talk about:

• CodePlex, the Microsoft open source repository
• Community participation other than coding
• Open-source governance at Microsoft
• Open-source inroads and future at Microsoft

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Interviewers: Scott Swigart and Sean Campbell

Interviewee: Jamie Thingelstad

In this interview we talk with Jamie Thingelstad - CTO of the Wall Street Journal’s Digital Network. In specific, we talk about:

• Open and closed-source technology stacks at WSJ
• The technology evaluation process
• Intersections between open source and commercial entities
• Security considerations with open and closed platforms
• The value and liability of owning code

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Interviewers: Scott Swigart and Sean Campbell

Interviewee: Mitch Bradley

In this interview we talk with Mitch Bradley - who was responsible for developing the firmware for the OLPC project. In specific, we talk about:

• Mitch’s history with Sun, FirmWorks, and elsewhere
• Evolution of One Laptop Per Child
• Novel hardware in OLPC laptops
• Propagating technology from OLPC to the mainstream
• Open-source intersections with the commercial sector
• Open-source firmware and community
• History and future of firmware’s place on computers

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Interviewers: Scott Swigart and Sean Campbell

Interviewee: Ross Gardler

In this interview we talk with Ross Gardler - Service Manager for OSS Watch. OSS Watch is an organization that helps institutions in the UK make decisions in and around open source topics. In specific, we talk about:

• Different cultures in open source projects
• Notions of value and control in the software business
• Commercial involvement in open source and giving back to the community
• Comparing open source in the UK and the US

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Interviewers: Scott Swigart and Sean Campbell

Interviewee: Mike Shaver

In this interview with talk with Mike Shaver, Chief Evangelist for Mozilla. In specific, we talk about:

• Governance of the project and how people get involved
• Changing contributors who fill key roles
• Roles of independent contributors versus employees
• Ensuring high usability in an open-source project
• Protecting reliability in a world of many extensions
• Tools used by the Mozilla team
• Reflections on open and closed development models

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Interviewers: Scott Swigart and Sean Campbell

Interviewee: Marc Frons

In this second interview with Marc Frons, CTO for the New York Times digital operations, we discuss the Times use of open source in their infrastructure. In specific, we talk about:

• WordPress and blogging at the New York Times
• New York Times investment in open source
• Licensing issues and corporate citizenship
• How they address open-source application support and evolution
• The role of content management systems
• The future of corporate investment in open source

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