While closure is itself open-source, the compiled output it generates with advanced optimizations enabled is obfuscated beyond recognition. A top-level function may get renamed to a single-character like "a", or simply inlined.<p>If you've tried reading the JS source code for Google Maps, for example, then you know what I mean. The net effect is that the JS code becomes analogous to binary files -- effectively unparsable by humans without effort that is greater than starting from scratch.<p>I think that the release of Google Closure is ushering with it a new era of web applications whose source code is as good as opaque to human eyes.<p>I don't have a blog, so I figured I'd just blurt it on here.<p>Thoughts?
That's just javascript minimization. Standard way of reducing page load times. It's been around way longer than Google Closure, just look at YUI Compressor.<p>It may stop anyone from looking at a page's source code, but I'd think most developers would put greatly reducing load times ahead of having your javascript being freely read.
I don't see it as an issue. When something is "open source" it's always with the consent of the author and they'll still publish the source. Will this make it harder for you to peep to see what web apps are doing? Probably, but this isn't a licensing or an 'open source' issue.