Open source software projects involve the production of goods, but in software projects, the "goods" consist of information. The open source model is an alternative to the conventional centralized, command-and-control way in which things are usually made. In contrast, open source projects are genuinely decentralized and transparent. Transparent means that all of the information pertaining to what is being made -- from the source code to the bug list, the design documents, and the mailing lists in which discussions are held and decisions are often made -- is available to anyone who cares to look. It?s this transparency that lowers the barriers to entry and participation. The leverage of open source, being fundamentally a more efficient as well as democratic way of developing software, can offer great advantages. But the academic world needs to get more involved in open source, to get more familiar with its mechanisms -- how it works and how it doesn?t work. This kind of research will benefit not only the academic world but open source in general.