I mean, it depends whether you are a go-it-alone company or whether you actually care about the rest of the computing universe. If you are ok just doing your own thing & not caring how the rest of the software universe looks at you- well, ok, yeah, this is a center. If you want to have some relationships with the rest of the computing universe, this seems like a pretty basic, elementary thing to keep around. Most companys heavily rely on & use open source. Google definitely has a NIH syndrome up the wazoo (Chromebook being like 1/3rd recognizable linux userland stack is like infinitely more linux userland than the Android/Danger acquisition but still heavily reinvented), but a ton of their universe has vast open source underpinnings.
That said, my hope would be that these layoffs are not the end. I have faith & trust in the well established players here, for sure, but one of the things that makes me feel the worst about the world today is the gerontocratic nature of it, that people ascend to power & do not build paths for future generations. I really have zero knowledge, zero idea about this particular case, but conceptually there's an idea I like of foisting new people into positions, giving newcomers a chance to try new ways of doing things, creating a more dynamic environment of trying things. DiBona has been the face of open source at Google for almost 20 years. Nothing against Chris whatsoever, but if we can pass the torch, let new people have a chance, try new ways, that does make me a little excited. Purely because I want to believe in a dynamic world, where there is space at great places for newcomers to make their own mark, & not forever be under others. And I don't know whether open source at Google has that next chance, still has enough presence & enough pull to be a factor. But I hope, and believe, if those folks are around, they might have new outlooks that can co-improve Google & all of us.
That said, my hope would be that these layoffs are not the end. I have faith & trust in the well established players here, for sure, but one of the things that makes me feel the worst about the world today is the gerontocratic nature of it, that people ascend to power & do not build paths for future generations. I really have zero knowledge, zero idea about this particular case, but conceptually there's an idea I like of foisting new people into positions, giving newcomers a chance to try new ways of doing things, creating a more dynamic environment of trying things. DiBona has been the face of open source at Google for almost 20 years. Nothing against Chris whatsoever, but if we can pass the torch, let new people have a chance, try new ways, that does make me a little excited. Purely because I want to believe in a dynamic world, where there is space at great places for newcomers to make their own mark, & not forever be under others. And I don't know whether open source at Google has that next chance, still has enough presence & enough pull to be a factor. But I hope, and believe, if those folks are around, they might have new outlooks that can co-improve Google & all of us.