Miguel de Icaza's Gnome Foundation seeks to make open-source software easy for the masses to use
An Evangelist for Free Software
By Bill Syken

In an idealistic corner of the computer world, there is a breed of benign engineers called open-source software programmers. They believe in sharing their work rather than selling it. Yet last month when one of these programmers, Miguel de Icaza, 27, announced the creation of the Gnome Foundation to bring open-source software to the masses, he was flanked by such giant corporate partners as Sun Microsystems, Compaq and IBM. That makes de Icaza a type that's rarer still: part software hippie handing flowers to the corporate police, part digital age powerhouse.

The open-source movement is based on programmers writing software and then giving it away, with coding for all to see. Every programmer who uses it is free to improve on it, in the process creating constantly improving, free software. But while Linux, the open-source operating system, runs on about a quarter of servers, it is relatively rare on home computers because it has been just too hard for nonexperts to use.

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Name: Miguel de Icaza
Age: 27
Why critics are taking note: Open-source programming may be an inexpensive alternative to Microsoft products
Gnome.org

Helix Code
Listen to excerpts from TIME reporter Bill Syken's interview with Manuel de Icaza:

On the usability of Linux for the masses

On open source software and it's effects on freedom


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About the Series

PHOTOS: Miguel de Icaza by RICHARD SCHULTZ FOR TIME,
Rob Malda by JONATHAN SAUNDERS FOR TIME,
Joseph Park by CATRINA GENOVESE FOR TIME,
Alain Rossman by DAVID STRICK FOR TIME,
Steve Stanford by GLEN WEXLER FOR TIME,
Sherry Turkle by AARON GOODMAN FOR TIME
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