--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I've always felt that sort of in the…" description: "\"I've always felt that sort of in the abstract, open-source is the right thing to do for a lot of the kinds of things that we do. There are a variety of..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c2f/james-gosling-14872_abstract_i-ve-always-felt-that-sort-of-in-the-abs_390013.jpg" --- # I've always felt that sort of in the abstract, open-source… ![“I've always felt that sort of in the abstract, open-source is the right thing to do for a lot of the kinds of things that we do. There are a variety of issues that make it a very complex discussion as to whether it actually works as a business.” quote by James Gosling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c2f/james-gosling-14872_abstract_i-ve-always-felt-that-sort-of-in-the-abs_390013.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c2f/james-gosling-14872_abstract_i-ve-always-felt-that-sort-of-in-the-abs_390013.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c2f/james-gosling-14872_abstract_i-ve-always-felt-that-sort-of-in-the-abs_390013.jpg) > “I've always felt that sort of in the abstract, open-source is the right thing to do for a lot of the kinds of things that we do. There are a variety of issues that make it a very complex discussion as to whether it actually works as a business.” [James Gosling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gosling/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Open source is ideal in theory for collaborative innovation, but business models and practical constraints make its implementation complex. **In simple terms:** Open source sounds good, but business realities complicate it. Key Takeaway Weigh benefits against practical challenges before adopting open source. Themes technology business open source collaboration Mood thoughtful pragmatic Type technical strategic When to use this quote - startup strategy - enterprise software development - policy making - educational curricula Key Concepts software licensing community governance economic incentives Questions to Reflect On - What factors determine when open source is viable for a company? - How can open source projects sustain themselves financially? A Different Perspective Open source may not always align with profit motives or proprietary needs. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Abstract](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abstract/) [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Open source](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/open-source/) [Right thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-thing/) [Technology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technology/) ## Related quotes > [In real open source, you have the right to control your own destiny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linus-torvalds/in-real-open-source-you-have-the-right-to-control-your-own-destiny/) [Linus Torvalds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linus-torvalds/) > [The lesson I have learnt is that when a family and a business function, they function together. You have to have a family that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-elkann/the-lesson-i-have-learnt-is-that-when-a-family-and-a-business/) [John Elkann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-elkann/) > [“As you'll soon see, coming up with winning products is never easy. We need a product that our customers love, yet also works for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-cagan/as-you-ll-soon-see-coming-up-with-winning-products-is-never-easy-we/) [Marty Cagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-cagan/) > [One works in this business - if one works. You do different types of movies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-hamilton/one-works-in-this-business-if-one-works-you-do-different-types-of/) [George Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-hamilton/) > [He works his business and manipulates and keeps himself in front of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marla-maples/he-works-his-business-and-manipulates-and-keeps-himself-in-front-of/) [Marla Maples](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marla-maples/) > [You know, most people in the open-source world who use open-source software don't actually do builds themselves - those people just download the binaries.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gosling/you-know-most-people-in-the-open-source-world-who-use-open-source/) [James Gosling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gosling/) > [“increase the ease with which innovators can build larger systems from interlinkable modules created by community participants. Free and open source software projects are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-von-hippel/increase-the-ease-with-which-innovators-can-build-larger-systems-from/) [Eric von Hippel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-von-hippel/) > [The power of Open Source is the power of the people. The people rule.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philippe-kahn/the-power-of-open-source-is-the-power-of-the-people-the-people-rule/) [Philippe Kahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philippe-kahn/) > [“HPL inadvertently created an open source fantastic universe unlike any other, ultimately grounded in the modern world, but enriched by secret histories and weird…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-e-lockhart/hpl-inadvertently-created-an-open-source-fantastic-universe-unlike/) [Ross E. Lockhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-e-lockhart/) > [“thought outside the religious realm. 3. Jewish values, particularly because they are often manifest in concrete ways, are of particular interest to those in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-m-olitzky/thought-outside-the-religious-realm-3-jewish-values-particularly/) [Kerry M. Olitzky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-m-olitzky/) > [I think, fundamentally, open source does tend to be more stable software. It's the right way to do things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linus-torvalds/i-think-fundamentally-open-source-does-tend-to-be-more-stable/) [Linus Torvalds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linus-torvalds/) > [There are many examples of companies and countries that have improved their competitiveness and efficiency by adopting open source strategies. The creation of skills…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-shuttleworth/there-are-many-examples-of-companies-and-countries-that-have-improved/) [Mark Shuttleworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-shuttleworth/) > [Empowerment of individuals is a key part of what makes open source work, since in the end, innovations tend to come from small groups,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-o-reilly/empowerment-of-individuals-is-a-key-part-of-what-makes-open-source/) [Tim O'Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-o-reilly/) > [Let me be clear - Microsoft has no beef with open source.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-mundie/let-me-be-clear-microsoft-has-no-beef-with-open-source/) [Craig Mundie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-mundie/) > [In open source, you really have to be near the watershed to have an impact on the source code. Customers want to be near…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-fenton/in-open-source-you-really-have-to-be-near-the-watershed-to-have-an/) [Peter Fenton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-fenton/) ## More by James Gosling > [In the Java world, security is not viewed as an add-on a feature. It is a pervasive way of thinking. Those who forget to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gosling/in-the-java-world-security-is-not-viewed-as-an-add-on-a-feature-it-is/) [James Gosling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gosling/) > [One of the toughest things about life is making choices. I had a hard time saying 'no' to a bunch of other excellent possibilities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gosling/one-of-the-toughest-things-about-life-is-making-choices-i-had-a-hard/) [James Gosling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gosling/) > [My impression is that a really, really high-order concern for the whole development community is interoperability and consistency.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gosling/my-impression-is-that-a-really-really-high-order-concern-for-the/) [James Gosling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gosling/) > [An API that isn't comprehensible isn't usable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gosling/an-api-that-isn-t-comprehensible-isn-t-usable/) [James Gosling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gosling/) > [So in a strong sense with Java it was a learning process for us - there was some tech learning - but the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gosling/so-in-a-strong-sense-with-java-it-was-a-learning-process-for-us-there/) [James Gosling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gosling/) > [Java is C++ without the guns, knives, and clubs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gosling/java-is-c-without-the-guns-knives-and-clubs/) [James Gosling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gosling/) > [I think it would be a tragic statement of the universe if Java was the last language that swept through.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gosling/i-think-it-would-be-a-tragic-statement-of-the-universe-if-java-was/) [James Gosling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gosling/) > [The NetBeans team tended to be focused on academic purity. Getting them to be a little more blue-collar was a challenge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gosling/the-netbeans-team-tended-to-be-focused-on-academic-purity-getting/) [James Gosling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gosling/) > [I like to bitch and moan about lawyers, but they often have actually good points.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gosling/i-like-to-bitch-and-moan-about-lawyers-but-they-often-have-actually/) [James Gosling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gosling/) > [The notion of having a fleet of autonomous ocean-going vehicles wandering the world collecting data is something out of fiction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gosling/the-notion-of-having-a-fleet-of-autonomous-ocean-going-vehicles/) [James Gosling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gosling/) > [Anytime someone builds a little application that runs on a cell phone, there's something that goes on the server.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gosling/anytime-someone-builds-a-little-application-that-runs-on-a-cell-phone/) [James Gosling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gosling/) > [If I were to pick a language to use today other than Java, it would be Scala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gosling/if-i-were-to-pick-a-language-to-use-today-other-than-java-it-would-be/) [James Gosling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gosling/) > [Java the language is almost irrelevant. It's the design of the Java Virtual Machine. And I've seen compilers for ML, compilers for Scheme, compilers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gosling/java-the-language-is-almost-irrelevant-it-s-the-design-of-the-java/) [James Gosling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gosling/) > [Simply put, when you have very large pieces of software, most of the tools look at the individual lines of code as text. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gosling/simply-put-when-you-have-very-large-pieces-of-software-most-of-the/) [James Gosling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gosling/) > [The whole thought of a career with computers - given that hardly anybody even knew what they were - it wasn't even a concept.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gosling/the-whole-thought-of-a-career-with-computers-given-that-hardly/) [James Gosling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gosling/) [Explore all 45 James Gosling quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gosling/) ## More Abstract quotes > [Love is like that, fragile and light. No wonder it rests upon our hearts in intangible moments, bids us follow fleeting thoughts and ideas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-is-like-that-fragile-and-light-no-wonder-it-rests-upon-our/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Wisdom is the abstract of the past, but beauty is the promise of the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/wisdom-is-the-abstract-of-the-past-but-beauty-is-the-promise-of-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Where human eyes have never seen, where human beings have never been, I build a world of abstract dreams, and I wait for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-ra/where-human-eyes-have-never-seen-where-human-beings-have-never-been-i/) [Sun Ra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-ra/) > [A little too abstract, a little too wise, It is time for us to kiss the earth again, It is time to let the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robinson-jeffers/a-little-too-abstract-a-little-too-wise-it-is-time-for-us-to-kiss-the/) [Robinson Jeffers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robinson-jeffers/) > [“Happy is very abstract, you can't touch it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julius-veal/happy-is-very-abstract-you-can-t-touch-it/) [Julius Veal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julius-veal/) > [Abstract Expressionism was invented by New York drunks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/abstract-expressionism-was-invented-by-new-york-drunks/) [Joni Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-mitchell/) > [The more horrible this world (as today, for instance), the more abstract our art, whereas a happy world brings forth an art of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-klee/the-more-horrible-this-world-as-today-for-instance-the-more-abstract/) [Paul Klee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-klee/) > [Describing comic sensibility is near impossible. It's sort of an abstract silliness, that sometimes the joke isn't the star.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-carvey/describing-comic-sensibility-is-near-impossible-it-s-sort-of-an/) [Dana Carvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-carvey/) > [For people of color - especially African Americans - the idea that racist cops might frame members of their community is no abstract notion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wise/for-people-of-color-especially-african-americans-the-idea-that-racist/) [Tim Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wise/) > [The word of the Lord never comes to us as an opinion, no attempt is made to support it by argument, it comes as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-w-ivins/the-word-of-the-lord-never-comes-to-us-as-an-opinion-no-attempt-is/) Anthony W. Ivins > [A mobile is an abstract sculpture made chiefly out of sheet metal, steel rods, wire and wood. Some or all of these elements move,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-calder/a-mobile-is-an-abstract-sculpture-made-chiefly-out-of-sheet-metal/) [Alexander Calder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-calder/) > [I'm this superphilosophical kind of person. Stuck in a prison of abstract ideas and overpowering emotions, I have this personality that makes it really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natsuo-kirino/i-m-this-superphilosophical-kind-of-person-stuck-in-a-prison-of/) [Natsuo Kirino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natsuo-kirino/) > [Future lawyers should be more aware that law is not a system of abstract logic, but the web of arrangements, rooted in history but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felix-frankfurter/future-lawyers-should-be-more-aware-that-law-is-not-a-system-of/) [Felix Frankfurter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felix-frankfurter/) > [The trouble is that when you read criticisms about the other films that I've made you get the impression that they're all about themes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-haneke/the-trouble-is-that-when-you-read-criticisms-about-the-other-films/) [Michael Haneke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-haneke/) > [Painting is... a richer language than words... Painting operates through signs which are not abstract and incorporeal like words. The signs of painting are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-dubuffet/painting-is-a-richer-language-than-words-painting-operates-through/) [Jean Dubuffet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-dubuffet/) [Browse all 1,403 Abstract quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abstract/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I've always felt that sort of in the abstract, open-source is the right thing to do for a lot of the kinds of things that we do. 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