Open Source: the space between Corporation and Commune?

In The Economist, there's an interesting overview of Open Source, what it is, strengths, weaknesses, and what's in store for it. It introduces the catchy metaphor (or is it simile) "… occupying the space between a Corporation and a Commune:

"Even if the cracks in the management of open source can be plugged by some fairly straightforward organisational controls, might it nevertheless remain only a niche activity--occupying, essentially, the space between a corporation and a commune?" (from "The Economist")

Read the whole thing, it's interesting. Technorati Tags: opensource