[davidw]

> open source has been spectacularly successful generating other public goods (linux and others).

No one doubts that some open source software has been very successful. What I'm not sure of is whether levels of open source provisioning are optimal: maybe there should be 10X what there is now. Maybe Linux should dominate the desktop world, but does not due to lack of funding. This is Bastiat's "what is not seen" - what we have now is good, but perhaps it could be better. Maybe a lot better, under different circumstances.

Also, that link mentions Coasian solutions, and privileged goods, which between them explain a lot about open source software, no?