Matt Wells’ seminar ‘the case for open source’ underlines the benefits of open source software as key-drivers for innovation in technology. He works at GitHub, which is the largest open source community in the world, sharing his experiences and the values underpinning open source projects. In this respect, the seminar provides for a useful insight into the development of open source software and the ways to contribute to better software. The present contribution is prepared by the Northumbria Internet & Society Research Interest Group (NINSO). The NINSO group is a multidisciplinary research group that shares research interests on technology and its significance for law, computer-science, social sciences, and engineering. Being interested in a holistic outlook of technological developments, it frequently organises seminars that aim to provide opportunities for collaborations and strengthen the quality of academic research in this area.