Labs Downloads. Flash Player. Open source programming tools on the rise. If the open source model has a sweet spot, it's in programming tools.
Linus Torvalds's fabled "world domination" on the desktops of clerks or CEOs may never arrive, but it's already here on the computers of programmers everywhere. Even in the deepest corners of proprietary stacks, open source tools can be found, often dominating. The reason is clear: Open source licenses are designed to allow users to revise, fix, and extend their code. The barber or cop may not be familiar enough with code to contribute, but programmers sure know how to fiddle with their tools. [ Also on InfoWorld: Find out which 7 programming languages are on the rise in today's enterprise and beware the 12 programming mistakes to avoid. | Keep up on key application development insights with the Fatal Exception blog and Developer World newsletter. ]