How about an Index of Openness?

September 29th, 2007 by Doc Searls

Your rating: None

Wendy Seltzer asks, Which is more open: the Nokia N95 or the iPhone? Regardless of the answer, I'm wondering if there's an objective way to score openness... perhaps a kind of in-the-wild folksonomic list of deal-makers and deal-killers.

Rather than bias the list, I thought I'd just put the idea out there to start with, and see what variables ya'll would like to see on the list.

Good idea? Bad? Is anybody doing this already?
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Doc Searls is Senior Editor of Linux Journal


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blades's picture

Openness?

On March 27th, 2009 blades (not verified) says:

I am going to go with the Iphone. I think between the updates and the abundance of available apps...

Bali Villas's picture

Nokia N95

On January 3rd, 2009 Bali Villas (not verified) says:

what operating system of Nokia N95, Symbian or Java ??

Oks Suyasa's picture

Wendy Seltzer asks, Which is

On December 15th, 2008 Oks Suyasa (not verified) says:

Wendy Seltzer asks, Which is more open: the Nokia N95 or the iPhone? Regardless of the answer, I'm wondering if there's an objective way to score openness... perhaps a kind of in-the-wild folksonomic list of deal-makers and deal-killers.

seks hikaye's picture

thanks

On October 28th, 2008 seks hikaye (not verified) says:

I would like to see someone take a crack at it though.

Shopping's picture

Neither

On June 6th, 2008 Shopping (not verified) says:

Definitely it won't be easy to score objectively between those two, but one can score easily between Linux and, say, Apple OS. Between the two, whichever phone makes installing other software on it seamless will probably be the winner. Whichever one comes with software that you can manipulate and change, that would be the most opensource one.
However, I think that makes neither good for the Opensource points :)

Italy property's picture

openess

On May 30th, 2008 Italy property (not verified) says:

Good luck with the issue regarding objectively scoring openess. My thoughts are there is no way either of these two phones are open. Linux on the other hand is of course.

DUI's picture

I'm not sure that there

On February 19th, 2008 DUI (not verified) says:

I'm not sure that there really is an objective way to score openness. I would like to see someone take a crack at it though.

Ingilizce Sozluk's picture

I think the competition

On February 12th, 2008 Ingilizce Sozluk (not verified) says:

I think the competition between them is something good for us.

Download's picture

perfect

On December 18th, 2007 Download (not verified) says:

didn't get around to making an index, or a site, or a colorful table out of it (I'm currently using zim for it). If I did the latter, it would certainly be biased, of course, because it doesn't only describe openness.

www.1453.us
www.video.name.tr
www.globaladres.net

Franky's picture

Good Question

On October 10th, 2007 Franky (not verified) says:

I think it is a good idea to evaluate the openness. In my opinion the most important factor should be that you can see and change the source code. Then it is totally open.
If this is not possible the dimensions which are mentioned before are quite good. Just rank them with an importance factor and you have your scoring model.

-dsr-'s picture

Some variables of openness

On September 30th, 2007 -dsr- (not verified) says:

For a given platform, Open-ness is about degrees of freedom:

- can you transfer it to someone else?
- can you copy it for yourself?
- can you copy it to give away?
- can you copy it and sell it?
- can you alter it and use it by itself?
- can you alter it and use it with its standard infrastructure?
- can you alter it and distribute the method of alteration?
- can you alter it and distribute the altered work?
- can you alter it and sell the altered work?
- which of these abilities can you pass to other people?
- which of these abilities can you restrict from other people?
- is there a documented ABI?
- is there a documented API?
- is there an available SDK?
- is there a free or very-low-cost SDK?
- does the programming interface expose all the features?
- can you get source code and/or schematics?
- can you redistribute the source or schematics?
- how end-user friendly is the best method of adding functions (new HW, new SW)?

Anonymous's picture

Good idea.

On September 30th, 2007 Anonymous (not verified) says:

I've started compiling a list of companies this summer, containing some information about them, like what software they are using for their site, what file formats they use, what good/bad things they've done lately (or, if they are the same all the time, throughout their history)…

I didn't get around to making an index, or a site, or a colorful table out of it (I'm currently using zim for it). If I did the latter, it would certainly be biased, of course, because it doesn't only describe openness.

For example, it lists:
About web sites:
- the web server used for the site
- how much Flash the site contains and how much it depends on it
- what other file formats are used
- what the site says about browsers (e.g. "This site is best viewed in …)
About company relationships
- what company designed the site, what company gave them software, hardware etc

Subsidiaries are all listed under the owner, and their name links to the owners name.

Also things like
“… listed 9999th in the top 40 best companies

Anonymous's picture

Ford / Microsoft Program

On November 18th, 2007 Anonymous (not verified) says:

Check out media.ford.com

FORD TEAMS UP WITH MICROSOFT TO DELIVER SYNC; IN-CAR DIGITAL SYSTEM EXCLUSIVE TO FORD

Does the "openess" scale have Negative Values?

http://media.ford.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=25168&make_+id=trustFord

SYNC™, powered by Microsoft Auto software, is Ford’s new fully integrated, voice-activated in-car communications and entertainment system for mobile phones and digital music players.

linuxlover's picture

linux

On December 21st, 2007 linuxlover (not verified) says:

It s really good idea to do that! thanks i will be keep watching!

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