The Rise of OpenSource

By Tyler Downer
2/23/08

OpenSource software, although shrouded in mystery and hype, is one of the biggest revolutions in the history of computing. With complete Operating Systems, Office Suites and Image editing software available for free, the OpenSource movement is becoming a major power in the software industry. Big companies, like Microsoft, have been forced to change polices to keep up with this new, grassroots threat.

OpenSource Principles

When software is released as OpenSource, what it means is that the programming code that drives it, it's "source", is freely available to anyone. Although some OpenSource programs do cost money, the vast majority are completely free. This policy is the opposite of commercial companies, which keep their source code looked up, away from anyone. Although most users don't ever look at the source, many do. These people are the ones that make OpenSource so popular. It is because of these volunteers who look at code, find security holes and bugs, and fix them, that makes OpenSource go. Because anyone can look, very few bugs are hidden for long. Even if one is undetected by the programmers, most programs have an easy way for anyone to report bugs, either through an online form, or Bugzilla, another OpenSource project.

Popular OpenSource Software

So that you can see the large variety of OpenSource software available, here are a few examples. Linux, a free operating system. Mozilla Firefox, a web browser. Apache, a popular and secure server application. OpenOffice, a complete office suite. GIMP, an Image Manipulation Tool.

Licensing

Just because OpenSource is free does not mean that it is possible to do whatever you want with it. Most OpenSource software is provided under the GNU General Public License, which manly states that you cannot sell the software as your own or restrict the rights of others you give it to. However, for most people this is not a major problem.

Rising Power

OpenSource is more than good, cheap software. It is forcing companies to change their way of thinking. Linux, for example, has such a powerful following the Microsoft uses as one of it's main defenses against anti-trust suits. Microsoft is even pursuing Linux in the courts in the hope of defeating it so it can't bother it again. OpenSource software, because it is so readily available for so little, has forced many companies to either lower their prices, or keep adding new, innovative features to stay ahead. But no matter what happens, OpenSource is here to stay for a very long time, and will help shape the Internet and computing into a thing for the masses.

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