How Open-Source Software Is Changing the World

What is Open-Source?

Open-source code or products permits you to use the source code or any such artifact which comes under the open-source license. It is also commonly referred to as OSS (Open-Source Software). The other commonly used word for this is FOSS (Free and open-source software). Check this out to know the difference between OSS vs FOSS.

What is Open-source software?

Open-source software is software that is released under a license that gives users the right to use, study, modify, and distribute the software and its source code. This means that anyone can inspect the code to see how it works, make changes to improve it, and share those changes with others.

Open-source software has many benefits, including:

• Transparency: Open-source software is transparent because the source code is available for anyone to inspect. This means that users can be confident that the software is not doing anything malicious or harmful.
• Security: Open-source software is often more secure than proprietary software because it is more widely reviewed by experts. This means that bugs and security vulnerabilities are more likely to be found and fixed quickly.
• Customization: Open-source software can be customized to meet the specific needs of users. This is because users have the right to modify the source code.
• Innovation: Open-source software is often more innovative than proprietary software because it is developed by a community of developers who are constantly working to improve it.

Some examples of popular open-source software include:

• Linux
• Apache HTTP Server
• MySQL
• WordPress
• Firefox
• Chrome
• GIMP
• LibreOffice

Open-source software is a powerful tool that can be used to improve the lives of people all over the world. It is used in a wide range of applications, including education, healthcare, and business. Open-source software is also used to create new technologies, such as self-driving cars and artificial intelligence.

If you are interested in learning more about open-source software, there are many resources available online. You can also find open-source software communities where you can ask questions and get help from other users.

Any disadvantages of open-source software?

There is always some disadvantage or cons when it comes to comparison with competitors, like for this case, OSS is compared to closed source software(CSS), but that should not stop one to evaluate and try out OSS. Check out some of cons.

Further Readings

• https://opensource.org/osd
• https://opensource.com/resources/what-open-source
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_source

Google Open-Source

• https://opensource.google/
• https://opensource.google/projects/explore/featured

Linux and Open-Source

• https://www.redhat.com/en/topics/open-source/what-is-open-source
• https://www.redhat.com/en/topics/linux

Open-Source Guides & How to Contribute to Open-Source

• https://opensource.guide/
• https://opensource.guide/how-to-contribute/

Open-Source Community

• https://opensource.org/community
• https://opensource.google/community/

Open-Source CMS

• List of Content management system Software/open source

Top Open-Source eCommerce Platforms

• Top Open Source eCommerce Platforms

These are a few links and guides to get started on the understanding of open-source if you are keen to learn and understand about open-source and possibly contribute to the community. Check out another article to know how much Google’s contributes to Open Source.

Feel free to share your viewpoints on this topic in the comments section below 🙂