The tech industry has a peculiar relationship with the word “open.” Remember when Google’s “Don’t be evil” motto actually meant something? Well, it seems we’re watching a similar semantic drift with “open” in real-time, and frankly, it’s getting a bit tiresome.

The latest buzz surrounds OpenAI potentially making moves toward open-sourcing some of their technology. While this might sound promising, my decades in tech have taught me to approach such announcements with a healthy dose of skepticism. The company that started with a noble mission statement about being open and beneficial to humanity has become somewhat of a poster child for corporate pivot.

The recent discussions about Valve’s remarkable profit-per-employee ratio have sparked some interesting debates in tech circles. While the company’s financial success is undeniable - reportedly generating more profit per employee than Amazon, Microsoft, and Netflix combined - there’s a complex story behind these impressive numbers.

Working in tech, I’ve seen firsthand how different organizational structures can impact both products and people. Valve’s approach is fascinating - maintaining a relatively small core team of 400 employees while leveraging contractors for various projects. The Steam Deck’s development, particularly its Linux-based SteamOS, involved significant collaboration with external partners rather than being purely in-house.

The news about potential rollbacks of crash reporting requirements for autonomous vehicles has me deeply troubled. Working in tech, I’ve witnessed firsthand how critical data collection and transparency are for improving systems and ensuring public safety. Yet here we are, facing the prospect of less oversight in one of the most crucial areas of technological development.

Remember when we used to joke about the tech industry’s mantra of “move fast and break things”? Well, it’s considerably less amusing when we’re talking about actual vehicles on public roads. The push to eliminate crash reporting requirements feels like a dangerous step backward, especially considering the mounting concerns about autonomous vehicle safety.