The vibrant global community behind Opensource.com is hard at work on something entirely new. Visitors to the long-standing publication may have recently noticed a distinct quietness across its digital pages. That relative silence is not a sign of slowing down, but rather the deliberate hush that precedes a major transition. Behind the scenes, a new project is actively in the works. While comprehensive details and specific announcements are not yet ready for public release, there is already a robust foundation of ideas, history, and community spirit to discuss. And what better way to begin exploring this next phase than by looking at the very fabric that connects us all—the entire internet?
The Internet, and Top-Level Domains
To understand where a community-focused digital platform is heading, it helps to reflect on where it came from and the infrastructure it inhabits. Most internet users know that the internet is fundamentally a network. By definition, a network is simply a group of interconnected connections. In fact, the word "internet" itself is a portmanteau, seamlessly blending the concepts of "interconnected" and "network."
In its earliest conceptual and operational days, the internet consisted primarily of two distinct networks: a military network designed for secure, resilient communications, and an academic network meant for research institutions to share computing resources. As the digital age progressed and the internet expanded rapidly in popularity far beyond those initial specialized groups, it quickly became apparent that different designations were urgently needed. Society required a way to visually and functionally differentiate a commercial business entity from a charitable non-profit organization, an institution of higher education, or a branch of a governmental department.
These essential designations came to be known as top-level domains, commonly abbreviated as TLDs. Today, internet users can choose from a vast and diverse ecosystem of available TLD extensions. However, for a long time, the digital landscape was defined by only a handful of original designations. Those foundational TLDs have retained their widespread popularity and recognition to this day. Most internet users instantly understand that navigating to a web address ending in .com typically signifies a commercial enterprise, while visiting a .org address generally points toward a non-profit organization dedicated to public service, advocacy, or community support.
These suffixes are far more than mere technical routing tools; they carry cultural expectations regarding the nature, purpose, and governance of the digital spaces they represent. They tell a story about who owns the space and what motivations drive its existence.
Open Source is a Network
Open source, much like the broader internet it relies upon, can manifest in many different forms and fulfill numerous roles across society. It can be commercial, driving enterprise software and global economic growth. It can be strictly non-profit, operating under the guidance of foundations dedicated to public goods. It can be academic, fostering breakthrough research in university laboratories. It can also be cultural, shaping how creators share art, media, and knowledge.
Yet, no matter what specific form open source takes, its underlying nature remains constant: it is always a network. Sometimes that network is composed of physical computers, servers, and repositories sharing code across continents. Most importantly, however, it is a network of living, breathing people.
Whether these individuals are gathering in person at a massive international technology conference, catching up informally at a local pub, or collaborating asynchronously in an online chat room, open source is, at its core, a community of people working together toward shared goals. The software, documentation, and hardware designs are merely the tangible artifacts of human collaboration and shared values.
For the past twelve years, the website Opensource.com has been proudly supported by a commercial entity, providing a steady digital home for stories, tutorials, and insights regarding open source technologies. But the people—referring directly to the readers, contributors, writers, and advocates that make up the vibrant Opensource.com community—are not commercial entities. They are individuals, driven by curiosity, a passion for collaboration, and a belief in the power of shared knowledge.
For a community rooted in human connection, aligning the platform’s organizational structure and future path more closely with the people who sustain it represents a natural evolution. The upcoming transition aims to address this dynamic, resolving longstanding structural questions about how the platform serves its audience. In just one month, Opensource.com is set to reveal how it plans to resolve this chapter and step into its next iteration. Stay tuned for further announcements as the community prepares to unveil its new project.
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