The Open Source Project Manager Of Google Opens Up

February 12, 2013

Tech News World in “Google Open Source Program Manager Chris DiBona: Best Of Both Worlds” had the opportunity to sit down with Christopher DiBona, Google’s open source program manager and discuss how Chrome, Linix, Android and Google-created proprietary code come together with open source software to maintain Google’s infrastructure. DiBona reveals that Google pulls in a combination of open source and in-house developed software to make everything work.

When it comes to making the software work across multiple platforms, Google takes in account that users do not care where they get the software comes from. They want items, like Chrome, to work when they are using them. DiBona is not disheartened when users do not understand the inner workings, instead he gets his kicks out user satisfaction with a working product.

DiBona also discusses how a Google Chrome notebook allows users to access their data anywhere. Even it the laptop gets stolen, they do not have to worry about data loss because it is stored online. The Android OS comes off as the opposite where users cannot change their Android phones, because mobile providers lock down the phone. DiBona points out Google works across a number of OSes, so there will be some discrepancies. Google is aware that some of their products may conflict, but as long as they do not hurt each other Google is fine with it.
DiBona sums up his job as:

“You shouldn’t over expand on what my job actually is. The primary focus of my job — and it is very cutting-edge, actually, and is very exciting — is open source compliance; making sure that we don’t screw up with other persons’ licenses. It involves making sure that when we choose a license for a project that we release, that it is consistent with our values and our philosophies for that project.”

Google’s philosophy is to have the best Internet browsing products and services on the market. After reading DiBona’s interview, it is evident how they can maintain that philosophy.

Whitney Grace, February 12, 2013

Sponsored by ArnoldIT.com, developer of Beyond Search

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