An article from me about open source, which I wrote for our toastmaster newsletter and published ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Open Source Let me try to explain what an open source is, with an example. You have a recipe of great dish which you made. Now you prepared the dish, distributed to friends and relatives, while distributing it you gave the recipe also along with it. In the recipe you added a clause, saying that this (a) Recipe is free to copy (b) Free to modify and try out (c) Any one can sell or give the dish prepared free as per they wish (d) But whoever uses this recipe has to give credit to you. Open Source is simple as the above example. In software open source means programmers create programs, they allow others to modify it, use it. Others can see how it is made, they can view the code, they can give suggestion on improving the code, and the normal users can download and use it, distribute it freely or give it for a price. All this is possible, only restriction is that you need to give credit to the original creators and the contributors. This is the basic rule of Open Source and it is known by GPL license (please refer”gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html) Now bit of history:- In 1980 a guy named Richard Stallman had problem with his printer, he was able to fix the issue by himself, but unfortunately he was not allowed to do so by the manufacturer. This was quite frustration for him and this frustration was the beginning of the Free and open source software. The essential benefits of the open source are (a) Access to the source or recipe of any given work (it can be anything from Computer program, medicine, study notes, etc) (b) Free remix and re-distribution (c) End to predatory vendor lock in (d) Higher degree of cooperation Open Source was originally a software term, but today it is there in building design, cooking, making medicine and it is changing the way we do our activities. Knowingly or unknowingly we are all using open source. One simple example is that if you have a android phone, you are using open source. Other popular open source software is Firefox, Google Chrome, VLC, 7zip. Use of Open Source philosophy in medicine manufacturing made it possible for poor and developing nation to address their medical needs than depending on high cost multinational companies medicine. Now let us come to some of the myths of open source (a) No control This is wrong, open source product undergo rigorous control and observation, if your idea or contribution is not valuable, no one takes it. There is great control on what you want to use. eg when you use open source recipe for Biryani, you can control how much ghee or non-veg you need to add. It has control over what you choose and use. (b) Open = Unsafe In open source project many people cooperate to make a product, If some contributors make mistakes, such mistakes are exposed to other contributors and they strive to make it better (c) Everything is Free Everything is not free, the source code, or recipe of biryani is free and publicly available that does not make the biryani free. It is left to the creator to give it free or charge it. Or you need to pay to programmer to make the code customized or you need to pay the cook who makes the Biryani, even if the recipe is free and publicly available Open Source has changed the way we use IT Solutions today. You are using it when you use your android phone, smart TV, fridge, car, machine, etc.
Posted on: Mon, 23 Jun 2014 12:51:01 +0000
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