Have you ever heard the term “open source”? Yes? Great! No?
Well, put simply, it refers to something that is publicly accessible and can
be modified. Based on this definition, open source software is software whose
source code is available to everyone for modification and enhancement.
What makes open source so amazing?
Open source software is reliable because it is peer reviewed
since all the source code is available. People can view the source code to
understand exactly what is happening. They can fix bugs and can contribute to
open source software. Furthermore, open source enables anyone to examine
software for security flaws by analyzing the code and making it more secure
(OSS). The peer review process is essentially the driving force for reliable
and secure open source software.
There is also a great deal of flexibility and freedom that
comes with open source. For instance, if
you use proprietary software like Microsoft Windows and Office, then you will probably
need to keep upgrading to the newer software. On the other hand, open source
software allows you run the older versions. Open source software further
provides flexibility through freedom in two main ways:
freedom from a single
vendor and freedom to modify your software (Benefits of Using Open Source
Software). Open source allows other people to keep the project alive by
developing it further. Also, open source allows people to choose solutions
suitable for their needs. Vendors can go out business or can stop developing a
product.
Those are only a few reasons as to why open source is
amazing. To view a few more reasons, you can read this article, 10 Reasons OpenSource is Good for Business. Personally, I absolutely love open source software.
As a programmer, I find it extremely valuable for learning because I get the
chance to look at the source code and learn from it. Some of my favorite open source software
include The Chromium Projects, Ubuntu, LibreOffice and many more. I hope to
contribute to many open source projects in the future.
Works
Cited
"Benefits of Using Open Source
Software." Benefits of Using Open Source Software. N.p., n.d.
Web. 13 Oct. 2013.
<http://open-source.gbdirect.co.uk/migration/benefit.html>.
"Open Source for America." Open
Source for America. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Oct. 2013.
<http://opensourceforamerica.org/learn-more/benefits-of-open-source-software/>.
"OSS Watch Provides Unbiased Advice and
Guidance on the Use, Development, and Licensing of Free Software, Open Source
Software, and Open Source Hardware."Benefits of Open Source Code.
N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Oct. 2013.
<http://oss-watch.ac.uk/resources/whoneedssource>.
Sindhu,
ReplyDeleteVery nice post. The layout of everything in your posts (headings, nicely chosen and place pictures) always makes them look really professional. I never thought about the advantage to run older versions.
I enjoy the conversational tone of the first couple sentences. Try to maintain it a little more throughout.
It’s awesome that you use open source projects to better your programming. You’ve inspired me to do the same. I’ll check out some of the links you posted, thanks!
Hello Sindhu,
ReplyDeleteAfter reading your blog it seems that you are a firm believer in open source software, but only from a programmer's standpoint. This brings up a point that I never really thought of before. A lot of my friends do not use open source software as they tend to stray away and migrate towards big name companies. It is probably a taste that only programmers have as they feel that they are able to directly contribute to the success of a program. I enjoyed your point about how open source software always allows for use of older versions. This is something I noticed when downloading open software as well! Overall a very great blog post.
Julian Zabala
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHi Sindhu,
ReplyDeleteYour blog is one of the best blogs I have read. It is perfect generated, and very comfortable to view.
Your give a nice explanation of that what is open source and why it is amazing.
The two pictures are in right place, which make the structure perfectly.
The reference is also very good article.
Al in all, I am 100 percent enjoy reading your blog and can’t wait to read your next blog.
Sindhu,
ReplyDeleteI heard about open source but I didn't know that I'm using applications from open source everyday. I agree with you that open source is a great place to find the applications you need. Its also great because its free. You point out that we can use the old version of software while we can't for the licensed. Overall, Your post is really interesting. I love it
Hi Sindhu! I am happy to be reading your blog today because I really enjoyed your post about open source. I felt like it had enough information as well as a touch of your personality to make it interesting. I am also glad that you added your sources on the bottom because a lot of people forget to do that. I don’t think you need to improve anything because you even included some examples of open source projects that you like. Good job!
ReplyDelete