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No doubt there is a strong appeal for the fruits of the Open Source movement. So much so that Apple, Netscape, Sun and even Microsoft have felt the need to court its devotees. But what, exactly, is so appealing? For some folks, it's the access to the source code. Others use it as a form of documentation (quite a statement on their impression of the documentation received from vendors), or make changes to the source code to fit their organizations' needs, or just want the source as a last recourse if something goes wrong. I believe, however, these reasons represent a fairly small fraction of those using Open Source products.

The real appeal for the majority of users is twofold: Many want the ability to tinker with software, not at the source-code level, but at the administrative level. They like gnarly text-based configuration files because such files afford them lots of control. Interestingly, Sun used to have greater appeal this way. About a decade ago, versions of SunOS were much more "tunable" by well-seasoned Unix admins. Sun has lost some of this in recent versions of Solaris, probably at about the same time it stopped using BSD as the basis for the OS. Those who enjoy tinkering this way also have a strong disdain for the large software houses. They don't enjoy being treated like mindless twits who couldn't manage a single-user laptop. These are the people who basically hate Microsoft and they are by far a larger group than those who actively look at the source code provided with Open Source products.

Then there's the group that just likes the way Open Source applications work. There is a strong appreciation for software developed by and for the people who will use it. Smaller software houses often refer to this as "eating their own dog food." An appetizing image indeed, and it aptly describes why this stuff appeals to so many. Now I'm sure that Sun, Apple and Microsoft are huge users of their own technology, but I'm equally convinced that they never go to their own system admins and ask how they like the product and how it could be improved.

So my advice is simple. Sun, Netscape, Apple, Microsoft: Forget about opening up your source code. No one gives a damn about seeing how your applications were built. You won't even offer any assurances that modifications made to any particular version or source code will even be possible in the next version, so why bother? Instead, take the time to talk to the people who love Open Source and figure out why they do. You aren't close enough to the users in the trenches and you certainly aren't responsive enough to their needs. That's why the vast majority love Open Source.

Send your comments on this column to Art Wittmann at awittmann@nwc.com.