The conception of open source software has only become viable through the development of an effective peer-to-peer (P2P) networking system. As with P2P publishing, collaboration is an integral part of producing open source software and because a P2P network provides an efficient means with which to share ideas and resources it is also vital to the open source movement.
Open source software is basically software that allows the users to read, reprogram and redistribute it. The fundamental advantage that the open source movement has over conventional software development is that there are substantially more people working on various pieces of code to improve or fix it. This results in a significantly speedier solution to any problems that the software may have with efficiency, adaptability or compatibility.
The need for disintermediation across various social and political levels is a public concern that the open source movement can address. For example, in the 2004 US presidential election, about one third of the votes will be cast via a touch-screen system with a closed model of software developed by Microsoft (Hack 2004). It is a contentious system to employ amidst the controversial circumstances under which the 2000 election was won. An open source software system would have gone a long way to alleviate the concerns of the American voting population, and indeed the rest of the world because it must be able to stand up to public scrutiny.
More importantly though is the fact that the disintermediation achieved by innovations in new media spheres, like the open source movement, is vital to a continual technological growth in our society. As Flew (2004) argues:

[D]igital media developments have been at the forefront of shifts to a ‘new economy’, characterised by new models of distribution and transformed industry value chains that maximise the opportunities arising from digitisation, convergence and global networking (Flew 2004 p.113).

There are some potential flaws in the open source model of software development though. Firstly and most obviously, because of the lack of financial reward there must be sufficient incentive to drive an open source project. Secondly, the innovation of open source contributors relies on the sharing of sufficient resources and a means with which to edit the software. This may not always be achievable but is increasingly more likely with the continual development of P2P file-sharing networks. Finally, because of the relative ease with which the distribution and marketing of a commercially based product is possible its open source counterpart will usually gain less recognition due to the lack of financial backing.
Nevertheless, at the very least the open source movement provides an alternative to commercial software packages. Furthermore, it has been the basis of innovation amongst participating communities and been worthy enough competition to force commercial software developers to lower their rates.

References

Flew, T. (2004) “Digital Media� in New Media: An introduction, New York: Oxford University Press.

Hack (2004, October 26) Interview by Steve Cannane with Matt Quinn. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. [Radio broadcast: Triple J].

Marcial Christians 03:12, 29 Oct 2004 (EST)