Apache Software Foundation
Encyclopedia
The Apache Software Foundation icon (ASF) is a non-profit corporation (classified as 501(c)(3) in the United States) to support Apache software projects, including the Apache HTTP Server
. The ASF was formed from the Apache Group and incorporated in Delaware
, U.S., in June 1999.
The Apache Software Foundation is a decentralized community of developers. The software they produce is distributed under the terms of the Apache License
and is therefore free and open source software
(FOSS). The Apache projects are characterized by a collaborative, consensus-based development process and an open and pragmatic software license. Each project is managed by a self-selected team of technical experts who are active contributors to the project. The ASF is a meritocracy
, implying that membership to the foundation is granted only to volunteers who have actively contributed to Apache projects. The ASF is considered a second generation open-source organization.
Among the ASF's objectives are to provide legal protection to volunteers working on Apache projects, and to prevent the Apache brand name from being used by other organizations without permission.
The ASF also holds several ApacheCon conferences each year, highlighting Apache projects, related technology, and encouraging Apache developers to gather together.
daemon. They came to be known as the Apache Group. On March 25, 1999, the Apache Software Foundation was formed. The first official meeting of the Apache Software Foundation was held on April 13, 1999, and by general consent that the initial membership list of the Apache Software Foundation, would be: Brian Behlendorf
, Ken Coar
, Mark Cox, Lars Eilebrecht, Ralf S. Engelschall, Roy T. Fielding
, Dean Gaudet, Ben Hyde, Jim Jagielski
, Alexei Kosut, Martin Kraemer, Ben Laurie
, Doug MacEachern, Aram Mirzadeh, Sameer Parekh
, Cliff Skolnick, Marc Slemko, William (Bill) Stoddard, Paul Sutton, Randy Terbush and Dirk-Willem van Gulik. After a series of additional meetings to elect board members and resolve other legal matters regarding incorporation, the effective incorporation date of the Apache Software Foundation was set to June 1, 1999.
Apache HTTP Server
The Apache HTTP Server, commonly referred to as Apache , is web server software notable for playing a key role in the initial growth of the World Wide Web. In 2009 it became the first web server software to surpass the 100 million website milestone...
. The ASF was formed from the Apache Group and incorporated in Delaware
Delaware corporation
The Delaware General Corporation Law is the statute governing corporate law in the state of Delaware. Delaware is well known as a corporate haven. Over 50% of U.S...
, U.S., in June 1999.
The Apache Software Foundation is a decentralized community of developers. The software they produce is distributed under the terms of the Apache License
Apache License
The Apache License is a copyfree free software license authored by the Apache Software Foundation . The Apache License requires preservation of the copyright notice and disclaimer....
and is therefore free and open source software
Free and open source software
Free and open-source software or free/libre/open-source software is software that is liberally licensed to grant users the right to use, study, change, and improve its design through the availability of its source code...
(FOSS). The Apache projects are characterized by a collaborative, consensus-based development process and an open and pragmatic software license. Each project is managed by a self-selected team of technical experts who are active contributors to the project. The ASF is a meritocracy
Meritocracy
Meritocracy, in the first, most administrative sense, is a system of government or other administration wherein appointments and responsibilities are objectively assigned to individuals based upon their "merits", namely intelligence, credentials, and education, determined through evaluations or...
, implying that membership to the foundation is granted only to volunteers who have actively contributed to Apache projects. The ASF is considered a second generation open-source organization.
Among the ASF's objectives are to provide legal protection to volunteers working on Apache projects, and to prevent the Apache brand name from being used by other organizations without permission.
The ASF also holds several ApacheCon conferences each year, highlighting Apache projects, related technology, and encouraging Apache developers to gather together.
History
The history of the Apache Software Foundation is linked to the Apache HTTP Server, development beginning in 1994. A group of eight developers started working on enhancing the NCSA HTTPdNCSA HTTPd
NCSA HTTPd was a web server originally developed at the NCSA by Robert McCool and others. It was among the earliest web servers developed, following Tim Berners-Lee's CERN httpd, Tony Sanders' Plexus server, and some others. It was for some time the natural counterpart to the Mosaic web browser in...
daemon. They came to be known as the Apache Group. On March 25, 1999, the Apache Software Foundation was formed. The first official meeting of the Apache Software Foundation was held on April 13, 1999, and by general consent that the initial membership list of the Apache Software Foundation, would be: Brian Behlendorf
Brian Behlendorf
Brian Behlendorf is a technologist, computer programmer, and an important figure in the open-source software movement. He was a primary developer of the Apache Web server, the most popular web server software on the Internet, and a founding member of the Apache Group, which later became the Apache...
, Ken Coar
Ken Coar
Born in 1960, Ken Coar is a software developer and open development evangelist. He is probably best known for his association with The Apache Software Foundation and the ApacheCon series of user conferences.He currently lives in Raleigh, North Carolina....
, Mark Cox, Lars Eilebrecht, Ralf S. Engelschall, Roy T. Fielding
Roy Fielding
Roy Thomas Fielding is an American computer scientist, one of the principal authors of the HTTP specification, an authority on computer network architecture and co-founder of the Apache HTTP Server project....
, Dean Gaudet, Ben Hyde, Jim Jagielski
Jim Jagielski
Jim Jagielski is an American software engineer, who specialises in web and open source technologies.- Biography :Jagielski graduated from the Johns Hopkins University in 1983 with a BES in Electrical/Computer Engineering...
, Alexei Kosut, Martin Kraemer, Ben Laurie
Ben Laurie
Ben Laurie is a software engineer, protocol designer and cryptographer. He is a founding director of The Apache Software Foundation, a core team member of OpenSSL, a member of the Shmoo Group, a director of the Open Rights Group, Director of Security at The Bunker Secure Hosting, Trustee and...
, Doug MacEachern, Aram Mirzadeh, Sameer Parekh
Sameer Parekh
Sameer Parekh is best known for being the founder of C2Net Software, Inc.While in high school in Libertyville, Illinois, he published an underground newspaper called The Free Journal, promoting free speech and other libertarian ideas....
, Cliff Skolnick, Marc Slemko, William (Bill) Stoddard, Paul Sutton, Randy Terbush and Dirk-Willem van Gulik. After a series of additional meetings to elect board members and resolve other legal matters regarding incorporation, the effective incorporation date of the Apache Software Foundation was set to June 1, 1999.
Board of directors
The ASF board of directors has responsibility for overseeing the ASF's activities and acting as a central point of contact and communication for its projects. The board assigns corporate issues, assigning resources to projects, and manages corporate services, including funds and legal issues. It does not make technical decisions about individual projects; these are made by the individual Project Management Committees. The board is elected annually by members of the foundation and, after the July 2011 Annual Members Meeting, it consists of:- Shane Curcuru
- Doug CuttingDoug CuttingDouglass Read Cutting is an advocate and creator of open-source search technology. He originated Lucene and, with Mike Cafarella, Nutch, both open-source search technology projects which are now managed through the Apache Software Foundation. He holds a bachelor's degree from Stanford University....
(chairman) - Bertrand Delacretaz
- Roy T. Fielding
- Jim JagielskiJim JagielskiJim Jagielski is an American software engineer, who specialises in web and open source technologies.- Biography :Jagielski graduated from the Johns Hopkins University in 1983 with a BES in Electrical/Computer Engineering...
- Brett Porter
- Lawrence RosenLawrence RosenLawrence Rosen is an attorney and computer specialist. He is a founding partner of Rosenlaw & Einschlag, a Californian technology law firm, specializing in intellectual property protection, licensing and business transactions for technology companies...
- Sam RubySam RubySam Ruby is a prominent software developer who has made significant contributions to many of the Apache Software Foundation's open source software projects, and to the standardization of web feeds via his involvement with the Atom web feed standard and the feedvalidator.org web service.He currently...
- Greg SteinGreg SteinGreg Stein , living in Fairfax, VA, USA, is a programmer, speaker, sometime standards architect, and open-source software advocate, appearing frequently at conferences and in interviews on the topic of open-source software development and use.He is a director of the Apache Software Foundation, and...
Further reading
- Wikinomics: How Mass Collaboration Changes EverythingWikinomicsWikinomics: How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything is a book by Don Tapscott and Anthony D. Williams, first published in December 2006. It explores how some companies in the early 21st century have used mass collaboration and open-source technology, such as wikis, to be successful...
(2006); Don TapscottDon TapscottDon Tapscott is a Canadian business executive, author, consultant and speaker, specializing in business strategy, organizational transformation and the role of technology in business and society. Tapscott is chairman of business strategy think tank New Paradigm , which he founded in 1993...
, Anthony D. WilliamsAnthony D. WilliamsAnthony D. Williams is a consultant, researcher, and author. He co-authored Wikinomics along with Don Tapscott and is a vice president of research with international think tank New Paradigm...
.
External links
- Apache Foundation Official website
- http://wiki.apache.org/general
- http://wiki.apache.org/apachecon/FrontPage
- Free recordings of presentations from Apachecon09