Open source as a bargaining chip

Is this real? Or is open source just being used as a bargaining chip? Is this a sea change in software company attitudes, or is it like free shipping on overseas orders?

This is a valid question. Open source is not just a feature of software. It represents a completely different way of doing business.

Open source is a set of values, not just a value proposition. The values of openness, transparency, and consensus are extremely difficult to implement, especially if you're accustomed to control.

Compare it to our thoughts on Congress changing hands. There are warm words about working together, but for now they are just words.

So on this question, at least, my advice is that you be a Republican. Take to heart that old Reagan-era saying. Trust, but verify. (Isn't Adobe based near San Francisco?)