Introduction to Open Source Software

I've been an advocate of open source software for some time. I think that there are applications that are part of the Information Technology infrastructure that benefit from being "open source". The more fundamental a part of the infrastructure, the more I believe it benefits from having the source code be open. "Open Source" means that the source code (the actual lines of computer code) are available to anyone. That means that programmers can get the code and change it -- as long as they agree to share their code with everyone else. Many people refer to the people who contribute to any given Open Source project as a "community". And it is. It is governed by a committee for each project who decide what to admit to the next release. It is under the voluntary control of this committee. Most average people don't care -- they aren't programmers. They typically license a piece of proprietary software and run it. (They may think they "buy" it, but they don't. They license it under terms that most people don't read and simply click the "Accept" button and move on. But beware: there are occasionally unscrupulous terms in those agreements - particularly in downloaded software. It pays to read the terms, even if it requires many quarts of coffee.) But they should care about open source software. Key parts of the computing experience -- browsing, email, and document creation -- are infrastructure. These applications touch everyone who uses a computer. They benefit from a large, international community of programmers who make these programs work better, exchange information better, and make for a more secure and enjoyable user experience. But Open Source software can be kind of weird. The products are something that are usually very low cost -- sometimes no cost -- supported by an often invisble "community" of programmers around the world. There isn't a company with an 800 number that they can call for support. There is an active online support program, but it isn't very friendly to "newbies". This is a very cutting edge model. There are many successful open source projects but the only ones that truly work (in my opinion) have been for large scale, infrastructure-level programs. These include (on the desktop computer):

• Operating Systems (Linux and its many distributions, currently the most notable and usable of which is Ubuntu);
• Browsers (Firefox)
• E-mail (Thunderbird, these last two from the Mozilla Foundation)
• Office Suites (OpenOffice, almost fully compatible -- 99+% for most people -- with Microsoft Office)

For most folks, this is what they need. All these programs are free, and supported by a large enough community around the world that it will not likely grow stale or unsupported. All have major install bases. I use all these programs, and strongly encourage you to try Firefox. I would try Thunderbird next (maybe earlier if you use Outlook Express), and then OpenOffice. Ubuntu is for those of you who want to break completely free of Windows and constant security updates -- and it includes these other programs, too. The last three programs are also available for Windows and Mac operating systems. They conform to open standards for information exchange. How does this open source stuff work? For such infrastructure software, the open source movement has been likened to the National Building Code. No one "owns" the building code, but many people contribute ideas, and the best are integrated and published. Builders then conform to the standards, and homebuyers benefit. So it is with open source software. No one "owns" it, but many people contribute ideas, and the best are integrated and published. And the people who use computers benefit. Viva la Open Source!