|| Open Source, Where Everybody Wins ||

Here’s a research + opinion based article on why Open Source is the Future.

It’s 2018! Which means it’s been 20 years since we heard the term Open Source for the first time!

As far as I know, most of the current world runs on open source software. Companies such as Google, Adobe, Facebook, Microsoft, Netflix, IBM, GitHub ,Twitter, etc. support Open Source projects. Well-known Google open source projects include Android, Chromium, Dart, Go, Kubernetes, TensorFlow and many others that have changed the working of the world.

How does Open Source Work?

Open Source is quite simple, really. Open Source means that the software is open to all users. You can modify, edit, delete, add data on an open source website. You can also collaborate with other users to make changes, which is even cooler!

An Open source project is created with a particular intent. It may be used as a tool in education, a business model, graphic tool, a text editor, blogging site or as a medium of communication. Depending on the need, the developer creates the project and the source code of this working project is released in public. This project is given a ‘license’ which decides its distribution rights i.e these licenses provide rules and guidelines for how others can use your work and to what extent they can modify the project.

Here’s something I read in an article regarding O.S. Licenses:

“Open source licenses help others to contribute to your work or project without seeking special individual permission to do so.”

I like to think of Open Source as a huge community striving for continuous improvement. Developers from all over the world come together to work on a project. Their contributions enhance documentation, presentation, source code, overall transparency of the program and quality of the software. That’s really awesome.

This community is both competitive and collaborative for developers which leads to exchange of ideas & enhancement of software, so I guess everybody wins, don’t you?

How People contribute to Open Source:

• Open Source in Business: Developers use already written source code of other projects to make even better creations for their company. They can use Open source as a business model to promote their ideas/goods/creation & build better relations with customers. Industries are not only using Open Source, but also contributing to it, driving innovation & growth. This is kinda like altruism + progress at the same time.
• Open Source in Education: As a student, I personally think the best use of free open source tools is in education. With technology + all-round education, we can empower children all over the world. Educators who contribute to open source projects can help in making learning apps and sites, which can be accessed by both learners and other educators globally. Such contributions to collaborative online learning brings about a better change. KhanAcademy, edX and other missions strive for a better educational ecosystem.
• Open Source as Training: Most novices in the field of technology participate in Open Source to improve their coding skills, work independently, learn from other developers in the community and interact with experts. They can gain community visibility and companies might be interested in people who have actually worked on real open source projects & gained experience through that.
• Open Source in Medicine: An example- Open Source Pharma is “affordable medicine for all." Open Source Pharma (OSP) is a concept inspired by the Linux model of operation. It is Adapted to tackling important public health challenges, is associated with affordable healthcare and cheaper clinical manufacturing of medicine.

Some of my personal favorite Open Source Tools:

WordPress is a free and open-source content management system based on PHP and MySQL. Features include a plugin architecture and a template system. It is most associated with blogging, but supports mailing lists and forums, media galleries, and online stores.

Inkspace is used by design professionals and hobbyists worldwide, for creating a wide variety of graphics such as illustrations, icons, logos, diagrams, maps and web graphics. It is free and open-source software.

Notepad++ is a free open-source text editor. It adds a number of advanced features from tabbed documents, WYSIWYG editing and syntax highlighting (which is a must for software developers).

GeoGebra is open source software that was created to help students gain a better understanding of mathematics. It’s also used for active and problem-oriented teaching, it fosters mathematical experiments and discoveries both in classroom and at home.

VLC is a free and open source cross-platform multimedia player and framework that plays most multimedia files as well as DVDs, Audio CDs, VCDs, and various streaming protocols.

Mozilla Firefox is a free Web browser which was created by a global non-profit dedicated to putting individuals in control online. They also recognize, celebrate, and support open source projects that contribute to Mozilla’s work and to the health of the Internet.

Wikipedia is a free online encyclopedia, created and edited by volunteers around the world and hosted by the Wikimedia Foundation. The online encyclopedia Wikipedia is often referred to as an “open-source” project because it is written, edited and policed by a global group of volunteers.

Python is a programming language developed under an OSI-approved open source license, making it freely usable and distributable, even for commercial use. Python’s license is administered by the Python Software Foundation.

Goal: To encourage & motivate people to contribute to Open Source.

Open Source is inevitable…& most likely our future. It’s what’s going to keep most e-businesses running and affordable for everyone. I personally am extremely fond of open source as it is reliable, easily upgradable & provides all types of services.

I think people should be made aware through social media & mass media that even if they are not a developer, they can still help in offering services to Open Source. Designers, Educators, Translators, Journalists, etc. can improve software using their set of skills. With their help, technology and software can become more inclusive for all kinds of people.

Friends can set up clubs/communities specially designed to contribute to Open Source Projects of their choice. They can create software of their own. Open Source Competitions & Quizzes should be hosted to attract children of all ages.

It’s important that children learn the importance of Open Source from school itself. Students should know how to challenge traditional models and reinvent + redefine something that is already there. This helps in building skill sets, encourages creativity and fosters teamwork.

It’s incredibly satisfying to contribute to Open Source Software because it feels like you’re giving something to society. To everyone on this planet. And I think everyone should experience that in life. Atleast once.

If you love to write, design, code, read, educate, create or donate…then Open Source is perfect for you.

|| So, these are my views on Open Source & why I think it’s the perfect blend of Competition, Collaboration & Innovation in the new age ( and will always be ) . Do you agree? Please leave comments below :) ||

— Meera W.