ApacheCon US 2009 Session

How Open Source Developers Can (Still!) Save The World

Open Source communities like Apache have done far more than just create awesome, no-cost, flexible software - they have demonstrated a whole new way for communities of interest to band together and solve big problems. Beyond operating systems and web servers, Open Source software is now being used to organize disaster relief efforts, enable microfinance banks in the developing world, integrate electronic healthcare systems, and change the way citizens collaborate with their government. How well are these projects going? What should they emulate or attempt to inherit from the more "infrastructural" kinds of projects and organizations - such as Apache - and what new kinds of challenges emerge? And where can you help?