I don’t know enough about all the open source projects yet to offer up a worthwhile analysis on the impact of Oracle’s activities mentioned here.
But in general, software companies are a lot like politicians.
They start out small, creative, bright-eyed & idealistic. They crank out efficient, responsive, and innovative solutions to the market. The success that follows becomes a double-edged sword. They’re able to create jobs and attract top talent. People are rewarded in many ways, including financially. At some point they evolve into a leviathan of bureaucracy and cynicism… or get bought up by an established company that has long since undergone that transition into a leviathan.
I worked for a small software company and watched this process unfold (ending with their acquisition by Oracle). The company founders got rich beyond their dreams. I left, and kept in touch with enough people to know that employee morale plummeted.
As long as the market is free to innovate and spin-off into new ventures, then great new opportunities are created.
What’s really spooky is when the bigger companies like Google start getting too cozy with governments. That’s another matter entirely though.