Open Source Software

Open Source Software

If you've spent a lot of time on the Internet, you've probably heard about open source software, but you may not have fully understood what it is and why it exists. This article describes this recent phenomenon, and describes some of its advantages for the software used by the community.

In a nutshell, open source software is a software made by all-for everyone. The hope behind its development is that, thanks to its free access, it will become something that represents the true desires of the computer users. Thanks to a wide network of user participation, the software in question is improved and debugged without cost or administrative policy.

Traditionally, software is developed behind closed doors. A team of professional coders are building it, but the community in general is not part of its design. It is expensive to produce and as you can probably guess, this cost is passed on to the end user: the consumer. Open source software on the other hand is free of charge. Free to download, free to install, free to use, free to edit, and free to share.

It began more than twenty years ago, is a phenomenon that is gaining popularity and exposure. In its first conception, Open Source gave birth to the global network as we know it today. The Internet as a whole is the result of a free permission to access the Web, to use the web, to contribute to the web and to share the web with others. But he certainly did not stop there. In a not-too-distant past, Netscape converted its once-commercial version of its web navigator into open source. And now the open source also ventures into the commercial field.

At first, the idea of open source may seem crazy to those who live in software development. But the facts indicate another prediction. Open source software puts companies in a great position to realize and reposition themselves in a market they may not have been able to reach before. In the business world, Open Source is about image and when consumers help companies that contribute (instead of selling) to the public they buy, they gain a great favor in the eyes of their users (in addition to the huge opportunities to sell other items) .

Inviting the public into a product develops community and trust. It also defines the platform for greater reliability. Fans of open source programs are adamant about reliable software and strongly criticize the versions marketed for being buggy and prone to bugs. Avid fans even proclaim that commercialism is the cause of poor quality software.

Another advantage that open source brings to light is the speed at which they develop, improve, support and distribute their products. This is because people who regularly contribute to an open source product do so for unreasonable reasons (other than maybe to feed the ego.) They are very talented, they are available, and they care. Bringing money to any project can almost mean an instant death. It can kill motivation, desire, and a true will to create a good product. In a commercial environment, participants work for a salary rather than the product. And this is what puts open source projects ahead of their monetized competition.

As a software user, this means that you can also contribute to an open source project and help develop it in a product that reflects your direct preferences. You are not "stuck" using open source software The way you would get stuck with expensive text processing or a database. You have the same access to the open source software that your programmers have and in essence, you are your own customer!

Perhaps at this point you are wondering where you can get in this wonderful opportunity. There are many possibilities of open source splashed over the Internet and can easily be found if any search engine. Google "Open source project " And you'll be sure to find more resources than you can shake a stick at!

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