Android’s Openness Again Called into Question
VisionMobile recently mulled over some of the top open source platforms to rank each in terms of their “open governance index.” Spoiler alert: Android didn’t do so well. Google’s mobile OS was compared with Eclipse, Firefox, Linux, MeeGo, Qt, and Symbian and scored lowest, earning a 23 percent. The next closest platform scored 58 percent, while the Eclipse led the pack with an 84 percent. VisionMobile pointed to statements by Google’s Dan Morrill in which the Android compatibility chief said the tech giant was using compatibility “as a club” to force manufacturers to comply with Google’s wants. The full reason for Android’s low score was described as follows:
“Visibility to the roadmap is limited, as there is no Android roadmap publicly available. In fact, development of the Android private branch and the roadmap is controlled by Google, with little input from external parties or the Open Handset Alliance members,” the report says. “When launched, the Open Handset Alliance served the purpose of a public industry endorsement for Android. Today, however, the OHA serves little purpose besides a stamp of approval for OHA members; there is no formal legal entity, no communication processes for members nor frequent member meetings.”
Ouch. But we can’t blame them. Their points are valid and many of the same have been expressed by Android developers alike. One could point to the absence of a complete release of the Android 3.0 source as a prime example of the problems with Google’s method of open source.
[via BGR]