Live, from Pleasanton, CA....


For anyone interested in hearing about Open Source as it applies to companies, I'm going to be part of a panel discussion at eBig (East Bay Innovation Group) in Pleasanton, CA on Monday 11/10/08 titled 'Open Source: How to Make Money and Get Money?'. Given my previous post on the pragmatic aspects of using Open Source, I think this should be an interesting discussion.

It's been a while since I've spoken/participated in a panel, but this one should be a lot of fun. I'll be joined by Open Source luminaries Larry Augustin and Jeff Luszcz, with Gwyn Firth Murray moderating. So, yes, for those following, I'm the least well known of the panelists. :) Hopefully my colleagues on the panel will handle most of the questions around legal/IP, since those that follow my blog will remember that while I recognize the value of understanding licenses around Open Source, I tend to be more focused on the community building/collaboration aspects (not surprisingly, given that I do community management for a living).

I'm hoping to bring a more 'rubber meets the road'/developer perspective to what it means to participate in communities and use Open Source. However, I do have opinions on how companies can do a better job of utilizing Open Source in their products, and working proactively with the community is a big part of that. Given the economic times we are in, I believe it is more important than ever for companies to fully leverage the value that Open Source brings, and not just follow a 'fork and forget' mentality when it comes to Open Source in their products. The audience is supposed to be mostly startup and VC-types, so it will be interesting to see how the react to the perspectives of the panel.

If you are going to be in the Bay Area on Monday and want to come out, I'd love to see you there!

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