Free software is software that can be used, studied, and modified without restriction, and which can be copied and redistributed in modified or unmodified form either without restriction, or with restrictions only to ensure that further recipients can also do these things (ref. Wikipedia, February 2008).

The concept of free software shows in my opinion two particularly interesting characteristics.

• It supports sharing and collaboration. It introduces concepts of ethics applicable to the organization of work and the structure of a company;
• It contributes to increase the effectiveness of research and the pooling of distributed efforts.

Initiative inspired by the free software philosophy gave rise to impressive projects like Linux or Datalibre.

I greet these actions which questions the organization of work, in particular the traditional hierarchy between participants of a project. I think that, in the near future, virtual collaborative projects will achieve more than the international companies or governments, thanks to their unity and the force of their will.