Don Tapscott And Anthony D. Williams

Embracing open source means embracing new mental models and new ways of conceptualizing value creation. It has long been fashionable to say that public goods are inimical to wealth creation. Economists and business leaders have frequently argued that what goes into the commons takes away from the mouths of private enterprise. Of course, a growing number realize that this is nonsense. Without the commons there could be no private enterprise. As Linus Torvalds aptly put it, "That's like saying public roadworks take away from the private commercial sector." Even if public ownership of key aspects of the transportation network forecloses oppoprtunities for private profit, the gains to the rest of the economy make these losses look minuscule.