If there’s one consistent theme from Sun, it’s a commitment to being open. Jonathan Schwartz, Sun’s Executive VP of Software, freely admitted during a press Q&A at LinuxWorld this afternoon that while the company had forged J2EE, it allowed BEA to run away with the ball and completely dominate the application server market.In that context, Schwartz is now talking about open source Java. Determined to usurp Microsoft’s Windows dominance with Sun’s open source Mad Hatter client stack, Schwartz is out to leverage the collective wisdom of the masses. Under questioning, he responded: “The main appeal is that (developer) folks love to noodle.” Unlike CIO’s who don’t want to deal with code, it will offer developers a creative outlet. “It’s about cultivating a better relationship with certain developers who what to go compile their own reference implementation.” So when will Sun make the switch? “When we out-ship Microsoft we will seriously consider open sourcing Java.” Apache and Windows serve as the examples. “If you own most of a volume product you win,” he said. Quoting Sun’s Bill Joy, he added, “Innovation happens elsewhere. So it’s a way of capturing that innovation elsewhere.”Meanwhile, Paul Krill reports that Sun will not abandon it’s proprietary architectures any time soon. Technology Industry