Android, the first major open source mobile OS, has found huge success on devices from virtually all manufacturers. People now are running into the problems that arise when a manufacturer edits Android before distributing it. While the idea of these edits is ideally to improve the user experience, it is mostly used to cripple the OS: remove tethering, draw attention away from functionality that is not supported, etc. In theory, successful open source projects will put pressure on the entire industry to improve, but only if people have access to use that open source.
Consumer calls lately have been to require all manufacturers using Android to allow consumers to opt for a standardized Google build over the custom manufacturer build. Google's CEO Eric Schmidt disagreed explaining that "if we were to put those type of restrictions on an open source product, we'd be violating the principle of open source."
Eric Schmidt gets it wrong. Open source is about being open to the end user, not a manufacturer. These kind of perspectives hold open source software back from their true potential. By requiring that manufactures give consumers the option of using a stock Android build, Google ensures that customization by the manufacturer works towards the good of the user.
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