| "Shared source" was an umbrella term by Microsoft for its licenses that allows access to the source code. Among these licenses were ones that were also open-source licenses, but also ones that were not. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Shared_Source_Ini... lists the following licenses: - Microsoft Public License (Ms-PL) [open source] - Microsoft Reciprocal License (Ms-RL) [open source] - Microsoft Limited Public License (Ms-LPL) [not open source] - Microsoft Limited Reciprocal License (Ms-LRL) [not open source] - Microsoft Reference Source License (Ms-RSL) [not open source] So, "shared source" was clearly not a particular license by MS. Also, at that time, Microsoft tried to establish this term (by its Shared Source Initiative) for the general concept of "source code is available, but the license is not necessarily open source". In the linked Wikipedia article, one can read on this: "However, former OSI president Michael Tiemann considers the phrase 'Shared Source' itself to be a marketing term created by Microsoft. He argues that it is 'an insurgent term that distracts and dilutes the Open Source message by using similar-sounding terms and offering similar-sounding promises'." |