It is not really a surprise, but the official announcement came earlier than I expected. Over the last year a group of coders had been reverse engineering the Second Life client software with the approval of Linden Labs. I assumed an open source client would become available in this year, but had not expected it as early as January: Linden Labs is releasing the client software for Linden Labs as open source.
I think it is a good move for Linden Labs, as it allows them to start focussing more on the server side of things and try to solve their scaling problems as well as the long overdue capacity for voice, while they open up the client for the users’ creativity. Opening up is the only way to help Second Life move more towards becoming an infrastructure. It might not be enough, but it is an unavoidable step, given their current state. Next step is hopefully creating a path to more open server software as well.
Tag: opensource
Euro OSCON and BarCamp
OSCON comes to Europe. The O’Reilly conference on Open Source software takes place in Amsterdam, this Monday ’till Thursday. Participants from around the world have been flying in in the past days.
EuroOSCON targets the specific needs of European developers, programmers, strategists, entrepreneurs, and technologists, helping them to deliver the benefits of open source technology to their companies and organizations.
More interesting to me however is the BarCamp that will take place directly after the conference. Starting Thursday after Cory Doctorows closing key note at OSCON, coders, developers, thinkers, creatives and others from different backgrounds will get together until midnight Friday, to discuss, create and present new ideas. I am planning on joining them Friday for at least part of the day at the PostCS building near Amsterdam Central Station. More info on BarCamp Amsterdam in the BarCamp wiki.
Apart from this being a very good opportunity to meet fellow blogger Roland Tanglao from Vancouver face to face again, I look forward to having conversations about how create flow between different social software tools, p2p social networking tools, and bringing together the infoscape that is the internet and the geographical landscape we move around in.
In true unconferencing fashion, organizing this event started mere weeks ago. Mediamatic donated their space, after several community members in the Netherlands scouted out possible locations. More “common” venues fell off, because they expected bookings at least 6 months in advance. Different business models.
Oh and if you’re going to OSCON and/or BarCamp: informal get-together over drinks tonight at 9 p.m. in Café de Jaren in Amsterdam. (Can’t make it there myself though)