Definition: “Open-source software is computer software that is released under a license in which the copyright holder grants users the rights to use, study, change, and distribute the software and its source code to anyone and for any purpose. Open-source software may be developed in a collaborative, public manner.” I’ve always been a fan of the OS movement. But, abstractly, it seems society, for the most part, is not. And I think the reason why is broadly illustrative of how our world functions right now.

I became a fan of open source back in high school. Some of the largest libraries (matplotlib, scikit-learn, django, pytest, etc.) used for various computer programs have been built and maintained, collectively by tens of thousands of people, for decades. As a user, you can—with zero vetting—go into the codebase, find random bugs or improvements, even create your own additions to the program (with the final implementation being approved by a paid admin). It is the single most meritocratic system in tech: if you have an eye for bugs or create something truly useful, you can contribute with no bureaucracy or application. How cool is that?

The nuance is that a microscopic fraction of libraries are open to public contributions. Most are privately maintained and are monetized in some form, which is fair by all means. Money makes the world go around. But as someone who gets a lot of use out of them for various purposes (Neo4j recently, great product), there are very few workarounds to not paying to build.

I find the above akin to a term I hear a lot at Berkeley and other top schools: gatekeeping. Gatekeeping knowledge, relationships, events, materials to study, really anything. And once again, I don’t find it to be necessarily a negative thing. People should want to keep things private, maybe for financial reasons (IP), to avoid mixing social circles, or even to get ahead in school (i.e., you make an insane study guide and everyone asks you for it). Every one of those is natural and frankly should be kept secret if you want them to.

But this connects to a broader trend, for lack of a better term, of secrecy in society. Harking back to all my past blogs, I think that, as humans, we do our best work in deep collaboration and communication with other people. Having a community to go through life with makes everything better—you feel less self-conscious about your wins and losses, you can bond over greying hair in your 50s, you can reflect on your childhood together (re: Roy Purdy), the benefits are infinite.

When we close ourselves off, even if we make money or get ahead, we lose what life is all about. Humans are fundamentally evangelists, whether we like it or not, and, in my opinion, the broadly applicable behavior of gatekeeping reflects insecurity. If you are truly confident in yourself and your work, you can be honest about your failures with others and learn to avoid them with their advice.

Be yourself, be open with others, make mistakes, and be useful where you want to be. All of this is coming from a 20-year-old, so if any mature adults would like to chime in here, please do.