The Evolution and Impact of Open Source Systems: Governance, Sustainability, and Innovation in the Digital Age
Keywords:
Open source systems, software development, governance, innovation, sustainability, licenses, cybersecurity, GitHub, AI, collaboration, digital inclusionAbstract
Open-source systems have changed how software is made, shared, and improved around the world. This paper looks at how open source has grown over time, how it is managed, and why it is important for technology today. We explain different ways open source projects are governed by communities, companies, or foundations and show how these models affect decision-making and teamwork. We also look at the biggest problems open source projects face, like lack of money, burnout of developers, and keeping projects safe from hackers. Open source plays a big role in new technology areas like artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and the Internet of Things. We also talk about the rules that open source software must follow, such as licenses, and how these rules sometimes cause problems. Lastly, we show how open source is helping education, digital skills, and access to technology around the world. The paper uses real data, figures, and examples to help readers understand how open source is shaping the future of software and society.
References
1. Balter, B. (2015, March 9; updated 2021, Dec 20). Open source license usage on GitHub.com. GitHub Blog. Available at https://github.blog/open-source/open-source-license-usage-on-github-com
2. Beraud, H. (2024, October 23). Log4Shell: The vulnerability that shook the world of software development. Red Hat Developer Blog. Retrieved from https://developers.redhat.com/articles/2024/10/23/log4shell-vulnerability-shook-world-software-development
3. CNNMoney (2000, December 12). IBM to spend $1B on Linux. CNN Money (Reuters). Retrieved from https://money.cnn.com/2000/12/12/technology/ibm_linux/
4. Flexera. (2017, August 1). A field guide to open source software licensing [Blog post]. Flexera. Retrieved from https://www.flexera.com/blog/it-asset-management/a-field-guide-to-open-source-software-licensing/
5. Intel Corp. (2022). The careful consumption of open source software (Scott Piper, author). Retrieved from https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/developer/articles/guide/the-careful-consumption-of-open-source-software.html
6. Landwerth, I. (2014, November 12). .NET Core is Open Source. Microsoft .NET Blog. Retrieved from https://devblogs.microsoft.com/dotnet/net-core-is-open-source
7. Linux Foundation. (2023, August 18). Paolo Mainardi, The rising threat of software supply chain attacks: managing dependencies of open source projects. OpenSSF Blog. Retrieved from https://openssf.org/blog/2023/08/18/the-rising-threat-of-software-supply-chain-attacks-managing-dependencies-of-open-source-projects.
8. Marwala, T. (2025, July 2). Building Digital Infrastructure through Open Source and Its Possibilities. United Nations University. Retrieved from https://unu.edu/articles/building-digital-infrastructure-through-open-source.html
9. Packagist (Adermann, N.). (2025, Feb 7). The reality of funding open source. Retrieved from https://packagist.com/blog/posts/the-reality-of-funding-open-source/
10. SonarSource. (2023). The state of open source maintainers. Retrieved from https://www.sonarsource.com/techradar/state-of-open-source-maintainers/
11. Snyk. (2023). State of Open Source Security 2023 (Developer Security report). Retrieved from https://snyk.io/reports/open-source-security/
12. The Heartbleed Bug. (2014). Retrieved from https://heartbleed.com/
13. G. Zassenhaus, “93% of companies use open source” [Video lecture], GitHub Universe 2023. (Not cited textually, but industry consensus as noted in GitHub reports.)
14. United States Congress. (2023). H.R.3286: Securing Open Source Software Act of 2023. Congress.gov. Retrieved from https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/3286
15. Various Authors. (2023). Octoverse: The state of open source and rise of AI in 2023. GitHub Blog. Retrieved from https://github.blog/news-insights/research/the-state-of-open-source-and-ai/
16. Yan, T., Deng, Q., Zhang, H., Fu, Y., Grunzweig, J., Harbison, M., & Falcone, R. (2021, December 10). Another Apache Log4j vulnerability is actively exploited in the wild (CVE 2021 44228). Unit 42, Palo Alto Networks. https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/apache-log4j-vulnerability-cve-2021-44228/
17. Zaynab Ahmed Khalleefah. (2025). Harnessing Artificial Intelligence in E-Learning: Enhancing Personalization, Engagement, and Educational Outcomes. Libyan Journal of Educational Research and E-Learning (LJERE), 1(1), 13-22.
18. Aisha M. Ahmed. (2025). Examining the Effectiveness of Distance Education: Challenges, Opportunities, and the Future of Learning. Libyan Journal of Educational Research and E-Learning (LJERE), 1(1), 23-30.
