What People Must Understand About the Open Source Initiative (OSI)

posted by Roy Schestowitz on Apr 26, 2025,
updated Apr 26, 2025

We'll soon resume our series. Let's recite some facts about the Open Source Initiative (OSI):

1. Both of its founders are no longer involved
2. One co-founder repeatedly said (in public) that the OSI had lost its way
3. OSI existed (after some years) to "replace" the original message of Free software
4. OSI did not pioneer or coin the term "Open Source"
5. OSI is fronting for its sponsors, e.g. Microsoft and GitHub, i.e. proprietary software
6. OSI is paid by Microsoft and GitHub to whitewashing licence violations in Open Source (using terms like "Deep Dive" and "AI")
7. OSI does not operate in compliance with its own rules and bylaws; even elections are a farce
8. OSI is likely not the real guardian of the Open Source Definition (OSD), as the person behind the OSD helped confirm as recently as months ago
9. OSI defamed me, tried to deplatform me, and censored me (those who did this are at the highest level at the OSI and occasionally did so in public)
10. People close to the OSI confirm that there are witch-hunts against any form of dissent, including dissent from OSI co-founders
11. The OSI can lose its status or its licence to operate (per se)
12. The OSI is being investigated for privacy violations
13. The OSI colluded with Microsoft-sponsored front groups to publicly defame people such as Richard Stallman and Eben Moglen
14. OSI leadership is abusing Wikipedia
15. Only about 2.5% of the OSI's budget comes from members; the OSI is basically an instrument of large corporations; it speaks for and lobbies for them
16. If the OSI goes under, there will not be any immediate vacuum; the OSD hasn't been enforced for ages by the OSI; au contraire - some people in the OSI sought to profit from openwashing, i.e. helping actors (like clients of theirs) run afoul of the OSD

There's lots more. Stay tuned. █