Google has started using officially and unofficially open-source as a way to leverage markets.  Notably, they have dominated the JavaScript framework space with Angular.  Many developers note choosing Angular because it is backed by big company.  Unofficially, the Polymer team is backed mostly by Googlers and is touted to "transition gracefully" once the W3C finalizes the ShadowDOM standard.  When you examine the W3C ShadowDOM standard, it too is mostly authored by Googlers.  Most other standards in the W3C have a healthy mix of academia and Fortune 500 on the list of contributors.  A few newer standards like the ShadowDOM and WebComponents are entirely Google-backed.

AngularJS already uses non-standard control syntax in its markup.  Clearly, Google would like to roll changes onto the web without the checks and balances from other players.  Owning the technologies of the web means Google can further fortify its dominance and further channel web users toward profit.  Most importantly, they are stifling competition in the open-source market where developers usually don't even expect to earn a profit.

If we don't create some awareness around corporate interests marketing themselves as open-source, we will continue to see the vision of free software bastardized.  To exemplify the wider trend, Meteor.js has $10 million in Venture Capital backing to make its mark on the open-source world.  If free software continues to be assaulted unchecked, it damages the ability of software developers to operate as free agents and the overall freedom of the internet.

 

Related to this petition

===

http://www.w3.org/TR/components-intro/ -- WebComponents standard

http://w3c.github.io/webcomponents/spec/shadow/ -- ShadowDOM standard

http://angularjs.org/ -- AngularJS

http://www.polymer-project.org/resources/faq.html#nativesupport -- Polymer

http://www.google.com/trends/explore#q=knockout js, angularjs, backbone.js, ember.js&cmpt=q -- Google trends analysis

http://techcrunch.com/2012/07/25/andreessen-horowitz-keeps-eating-the-software-world-with-11-2-million-investment-in-javascript-framework-company-meteor/ -- Article announcing Andreesen Horowitz $10M investment into Meteor.js.

http://componentjs.com/ -- TJ Holowaychuk's framework that demonstrates that there is some big change looming on the horizon, we need all hands on deck

 

Roadmap

===

If this petition gets 100 signatures, it will be promoted on the Change.org homepage

If this petition gets 500 signatures, I will make sure Richard Stallman sees it

If this petition gets 2,000 signatures, I will figure out a way to have the appropriate W3C SIG's read it

If this petition gets 5,000 signatures, I will ensure Tim Berners Lee responds to this petition

 

My story

===

I started developing software at age 11.  In Fall 2012, I started developing a JavaScript technology to develop for the web using widgets.  As I started to talk to other people about my software, I learned about what had already been done on the web.  By late Spring of 2013, people started to talk more about Angular.  The conversation shifted, and people began to simply tell me, "Google has already done this.  You're too late."

I've seen a lot of other areas where people don't trust big companies, so after experiencing first-hand how my own solution could be silenced, I decided to investigate these issues further.  What I found are very subtle units of control which when added up make for a very unfair advantage.  As people, I believe we instinctively know when something isn't right.  On the one hand, we communicate today using logic, but our ability to reason becomes very difficult once we're discussing very tiny pieces that alone seem insignificant.

I want the web to continue to be a place that people can thrive and create on.  I think having companies like Google is really important, but I want to see more interests for freelancers and individuals represented.  Relying on people individually doesn't have to yield smart solutions, but it creates fairness that I think is really important right now.  I think by delivering a message like this to the W3C, we can assert that there is more demand for fairness than features.  We can create more space for people to individually figure out what they want and allow others to take a more active role in determining what the internet will be.

p.s. I really never wanted to buy a touch-phone, I liked my Blackberry just fine!!!

 

My links

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My website http://www.mikewhitfield.org/

 

Opposition

===

 

I am interested to summarize what people have discussed so far in opposition to this petition.

 

1. Google is doing something awesome with this, allow them to continue since no one else is stepping up

2. It's better to have the backing of a corporate entity when it comes to open-source anyway, many open-source projects fizzle out

3. If people want to contribute they should just do so, there are channels for contributing already

4. Google does play fair with other players like Mozilla, so it's unfair to call them out so directly