The open hardware organization has published the first issue with the purpose of sharing the design of physical or electronic objects with the public. The right to use, modify, redistribute, and manufacture, commercially or as a non-profit, is granted to everyone without any royalty or fee. Perhaps this could be the beginning of the end of the firmware issues plaguing the free software community at the moment.

Bruce Perens weighs in on what seems like a mountain that grew out of a molehill

"One of the more interesting aspects of the modern knowledge society is the free software movement. The most famous and influential leader of this movement is Richard M. Stallman (RMS). Richard recognized the value of a new model for software development and the various risks to that model.

Is Open Source capitalist or communist? Yes. About once a week a certain blogger stridently claims Open Source is a Capitalist Movement! or Today, Open Source is Commercial! and Open Source is About Capitalism, Not Freebies! In fact, the truth is more complicated.

Several months ago we wrote very extensively about Microsoft’s motives in joining the OSI. By following the links, you can locate old posts that obviate the need to repeat old arguments. Bruce Perens, as you are probably aware, is one of the louder and best-known protesters against the Microsoft/Novell deal. He continues to focus on this issue, which he has not forgotten.

Bruce has criticized Novell in the past (and will today). The conference is being held at Novell, but the security folks haven’t thrown him out yet.