01930nas a2200169   4500008004100000022001400041245007300055210006900128260004200197300000900239490000600248520134600254653008901600100001701689700001801706856003601724       2013                        eng d  a1927-032100aCode Forking, Governance, and Sustainability in Open Source Software0 aCode Forking Governance and Sustainability in Open Source Softwa  aOttawabTalent First Networkc01/2013  a7-120 v33 aThe right to fork open source code is at the core of open source licensing. All open source licenses grant the right to fork their code, that is to start a new development effort using an existing code as its base. Thus, code forking represents the single greatest tool available for guaranteeing sustainability in open source software. In addition to bolstering program sustainability, code forking directly affects the governance of open source initiatives. Forking, and even the mere possibility of forking code, affects the governance and sustainability of open source initiatives on three distinct levels: software, community, and ecosystem. On the software level, the right to fork makes planned obsolescence, versioning, vendor lock-in, end-of-support issues, and similar initiatives all but impossible to implement. On the community level, forking impacts both sustainability and governance through the power it grants the community to safeguard against unfavourable actions by corporations or project leaders. On the business-ecosystem level forking can serve as a catalyst for innovation while simultaneously promoting better quality software through natural selection. Thus, forking helps keep open source initiatives relevant and presents opportunities for the development and commercialization of current and abandoned programs.10acode forking; open source software; sustainability; innovation; planned obsolescence1 aNyman, Linus1 aLindman, Juho  uhttp://timreview.ca/article/644