After the Software Wars

{{short description|Book by Keith Curtis}}

{{Infobox book

| name = After the Software Wars

| image = After the Software Wars.png

| author = Keith Curtis

| country = United States

| language = English

| genre = Computer science

| publisher = Lulu

| release_date = February 20, 2009

| media_type = Print (paperback)
PDF (download)

| pages = 300

| isbn = 978-0-578-01189-9

| oclc= 318814794

}}

After the Software Wars is a book by Keith Curtis about free software and its importance in the computing industry, specifically about its impact on Microsoft and the proprietary software development model.{{cite web|url=http://www.cio.com/article/493224/Ex_Microsoftie_Free_Software_Will_Kill_Redmond |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090523162603/http://www.cio.com/article/493224/Ex_Microsoftie_Free_Software_Will_Kill_Redmond|archive-date=2009-05-23|url-status=dead|title=Ex-Microsoftie: Free Software Will Kill Redmond |work=cio.com |date=21 May 2009|first=Shane|last=O'Neill|accessdate=26 May 2012}}

The book is about the power of mass collaboration and possibilities of reaching up to a singular rationale showing successful collaborative examples in open source such as Linux and Wikipedia.{{cite web|url=http://www.winsupersite.com/article/product-review/after-the-software-wars-an-interview-with-keith-curtis.aspx|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120918200702/http://www.winsupersite.com/article/product-review/after-the-software-wars-an-interview-with-keith-curtis.aspx|url-status=dead|archive-date=18 September 2012|work=winsupersite.com|title=After the Software Wars: An Interview with Keith Curtis|first=Paul|last=Thurrott|authorlink=Paul Thurrott|date=6 October 2010|accessdate=26 May 2012}}

Keith Curtis attended the University of Michigan, but dropped out to work as a programmer for Microsoft after meeting Bill Gates in 1993. He worked there for 11 years, and then left after he found he was bored.{{cite news|title=A Microsoft Veteran Embraces Open Source|work=The New York Times|url=http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/12/01/a-microsoft-veteran-embraces-open-source/|first=John|last=Markoff|authorlink=John Markoff|date=1 December 2008|accessdate=26 May 2012}}

He then wrote and self-published After the Software Wars to explain the caliber of free and open source software and why he believes Linux is technically superior to any proprietary operating system.{{cite web|url=http://www.1sd.org/2009/01/16/book-review-after-the-software-wars/|title=Book review: After The Software Wars|first=Francis|last=Jacquerye|date=16 January 2009|work=One Shot Design Blog|accessdate=26 May 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120305121936/http://www.1sd.org/2009/01/16/book-review-after-the-software-wars/|archive-date=5 March 2012|url-status=dead}}