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This related article by Andrea DiMaio entitled The Multiple Meanings of the Term “Open” hints at agreement with the position of McAllister and O'Reilly noting "Usually people confuse the end (such as making something more accessible) with the means (adopting one particular approach)."

Essentially, the crux of this issue is whether a defacto standard is as good as one defined by a recognized standards body. An important aspect of differentiating, also noted in DiMaio's article, is whether it costs you money and if it presents any sort of obstacle.