What Is Open Source?
20 hours ago
- #free-software
- #technology
- #open-source
- Open source software originated from academic collaborations and was initially shared under public domain licenses.
- Richard Stallman founded the free software movement in 1983, emphasizing four essential freedoms for users.
- The term 'open source' was introduced to make free software more appealing to businesses, distancing from the political connotations of 'free software'.
- Despite its ideals, open source software often benefits large corporations more than individual contributors, with few successful open source business models.
- Funding and sustainability are major challenges for open source projects, as seen with OpenSSL and XZ Utils.
- Open source communities struggle with diversity, with a significant underrepresentation of women and other marginalized groups.
- Open source software underpins much of the internet and technology industry, but its benefits are not equally distributed globally.
- End-user open source alternatives often lack the resources to compete with proprietary software in terms of user experience.
- Open source has transformed computing but requires evolution to address compensation, diversity, and sustainability issues.