The community surrounding Opensource.com is hard at work on something entirely new. Visitors to the platform may have noticed that things have been uncharacteristically quiet lately. That lull in activity is directly tied to a new project currently in the works behind the scenes. While organizers note that there are not yet many specific details to announce to the public, there is already plenty to talk about as the initiative takes shape. What better way to start a conversation about a collaborative future, organizers ask, than by including the entire internet?
The Internet, and Top-Level Domains
To understand where the community is heading, it helps to look at the fundamental architecture of the internet itself. Anyone familiar with digital infrastructure knows that the internet is, at its core, a network. By definition, a network is a group of interconnected connections. In fact, the very term "internet" is a portmanteau combining "interconnected" and "network."
Historically, the internet began as a network of interconnected networks. Originally, it consisted primarily of two distinct entities: a military network and an academic network. As the digital age progressed and the internet grew in popularity far beyond those initial, specialized groups, it quickly became apparent that different designations were necessary. A way to clearly differentiate between a commercial entity, a charitable organization, a university, or a governmental department was urgently required to bring order to the expanding digital landscape.
These essential designations are known as top-level domains, commonly abbreviated as TLDs. Today, internet users can choose from a vast and diverse ecosystem of TLD extensions. However, for a long time, there were only a handful available to the public.
Those original TLDs remain exceptionally popular and form the backbone of everyday web navigation. Most internet users intuitively know that visiting a website ending with a .com address typically means browsing a commercial site, whereas navigating to a .org address generally directs them to a non-profit organization. These suffixes established a visual and structural shorthand for the intent and nature of the organizations behind the web pages.
Open Source Is a Network
Just as the internet relies on connections, open source can be many things, but it is always fundamentally a network. Open source projects can take on commercial forms, operate as non-profits, root themselves in academic institutions, or drive cultural movements. No matter what specific form an open source initiative takes, it operates as a network.
Sometimes—though certainly not always—that network is made up of computers, servers, and code repositories. Most importantly, however, open source is a network of people. Whether contributors and enthusiasts are gathering physically at an international conference, meeting casually at a local pub, or collaborating remotely in an online chat room, the true essence of open source is a vibrant community of human beings working together.
For twelve years, the website Opensource.com has been supported by a commercial entity. That backing helped the platform grow into a widely recognized hub for discussions on collaborative software, shared innovation, and open principles. Yet, the people—the individuals making up the readership, contributors, and participants of the Opensource.com community—are not commercial entities. They are people.
Now, a shift is underway to better align the platform with the human network that sustains it. In one month, Opensource.com is set to resolve that fundamental discrepancy. The community and its supporters are invited to stay tuned as the next chapter unfolds.
Opensource.com has long published stories focusing on the practical aspects of creating, adopting, and sharing open source solutions across various industries and disciplines. As preparations for the upcoming project continue, followers can keep track of ongoing updates and announcements through official channels, including their presence on social media platforms like Twitter at @opensourceway.
The forthcoming changes represent a new milestone for a platform that has chronicled the open source movement for over a decade. As the timeline moves forward toward the one-month mark, more information regarding the scope and nature of the new project is expected to emerge, offering clarity to the loyal community that has driven its success.
