What is Open Source?
Open source means that the code of a program is available to the public. It means that a specific piece of software cannot be sold and it is updated and produced by developers that are volunteers, meaning they get no compensation for their time. Popular open source software includes the Firefox web browser and the Thunderbird email program.
Advantages to Open Source
An advantage to open source software is that the code is available to the public. The user has the ability to manipulate the code to make the software individualized. Developers are often involved in making the software user-friendly and many times compete with items that are normally for sale by commercial software companies.
Developers Gain Experience
Developers that are trying to get some experience under their belts often turn to contributing to open source software because it helps them to expand their knowledge base. In addition, they can add these major contributions to their resume to help them gain employment. While open source is definitely something that is very much needed, developers still need to earn a living.
The Niche Market of Open Source
There is no question that open source software programs have become quite popular in recent years. The most popular programs that people use on their computers are email, a web browser and an office program. All of these can be found in open source with Thunderbird, Firefox, and OpenOffice. These are useful programs that are completely free to the public to use as they wish. There are also other open source programs that fall into these categories, but these three are the most popular.
The Security of Open Source
Keep in mind that the developers and contributors to pieces of open source projects are running them on their computers, which means they want them to be secure. Many assume that because anyone can contribute to open source software that it makes it less secure, but the truth is, you cannot just go in and make changes to the code and it suddenly go live to the public. You can propose changes, but it has to be fully tested before it is released in a later version. Because there are so many “eyes” on the piece of software, it can actually make it more secure than commercial software.