Eric S. Raymond's seminal paper analysing why open source works so well; followup papers "Homesteading the Noosphere", "The Magic Cauldron" and "The Revenge of the Hackers"; and comments and criticisms from third parties.
Microsoft are getting very worried indeed about competition from Open Source Software such as Linux. This leaked internal memo, courtesy of Eric Raymond, reveals all -- including the extreme lengths Microsoft is willing to go to squash its competition.