Open excels when inspection reduces fear—protocol layers, cryptography plumbing, infra glue many eyes actually review. Closed excels when contracts, regulatory fog, or truly exotic sauce require narrower circles—provided transparency exists where it must (support agreements, egress logs, DPIA breadcrumbs). MDN keeps vendor-neutral framing for web surfaces worth comparing across stacks: Web docs hub keeps cross-vendor chatter literal.
Tie-breaker questions
- Who funds maintenance when novelty fades?
- What happens if upstream ghosts or re-prices ruthlessly?
- Can outsiders verify security posture without morale damage?