So, I was cruising down MLK Blvd in my lowrider like usual, and T-Dog and Big Mike were riding with me. While T-Dog loaded his 9mm with a fresh clip, he turned to me and asked, “What’s this open source thing I keep hearing about? Sounds kind of lame, holmes,” and proceeded to empty said clip out the window at pedestrians.
I was busy checking the rear view mirror because Big Mike was in the backseat having a fit of the fear–all twisting his arms and legs while foaming at the mouth. He kept saying something about squirrels.
The question finally registered and I go, “Oh, it’s just a way to streamline your computer needs with superior software at zero cost to you.”
T-Dog stopped firing and got this look of awe, “So, you’re saying I can increase the productivity and viability of my business, work less hours for more money, and it’s completely free and @$!#, holmes? Tell me more!”
So the following is the precise thing I told him:
What Open Source Is
Open source is not a thing–it’s a concept. In the simplest of terms, it is free software that you can download and use, and it’s often better than the commercial software.
The more in-depth idea is that open source is a concept of freedom. It allows people to create software and upload it for others to edit, download, use, and give back. It’s a community thing. One person makes a game and uploads it to the server under the GPL (GNU Public License), and another hundred people like the game and want to work on it, so they do–for free. Afterwards, about 10 people will stick with the project long-term and keep making updates. Eventually, this game is better than anything else on the market because you have the whole world working on it because they want to.
Now, you as an end user can download this awesome game for free. Now, swap game for office utilities, graphics manipulation software, and even your operating system! GNU and Linux (the OS) are very closely tied together, so when you use Linux instead of Windows, all of your software is free (including Linux). Imagine not having to drop a large sum of money to get the newest version of your favorite photo editing software. Why? Just download GIMP. GNU Image Manipulation Program. You can download enough stuff to make it better than commercial solutions. Check out Open Office–it’s a complete office suite that blows MSOffice out of the water.
The first thing people usually ask me is: Can I have a cookie? I say no. Then, they ask: Well, can open source software save in Windows formats? I say, emphatically, YES!!! Usually, I’m grabbing them by the head and screaming it into their ear–but I have bad days as well. One of the common features of open source software is that it can run on several platforms (Linux, Mac, Windows) and save in file formats for all of them–and then some! You can open anything and save as anything generally.
Open source is more than software–it goes deeper than that. Open source applies to writers in forms like free eBook libraries like the Gutenberg Project. You can do research without having to pay for it. It applies to programmers with source code they can use as frameworks to speed up the coding process. There’s an open source lifestyle for everyone.
The one thing you have to remember, though, is that if you use source code, public domain graphics (another open source lifestyle element), or research from a free eBook, you have to give credit where it is due. Don’t just copy-paste solutions and claim it’s all you. You have to change it up (more than the wording) so that it is original to you until you can claim credit. That’s not bad though. Eventually, if you get caught up in this you will be releasing solutions to the open source market, so you’ll want credit for your work.
It’s called giving back to the community which has helped you. Offer to do what’s in your abilities. That way, everyone profits.
When you have spare time, Google “open source” and then the kind of software you need. You’ll be surprised to see how much there is!
- Open Office 3.0 Beta Released
- Microsoft or Open Source?
- Where You Are, Where You’re Going
- Floating Vs. Full-Time
- Flying Solo I
I use a mix of open and closed source software on my machines, and really like most of what I’ve seen in open source. I’ve dabbled for years in linux.
The only thing that keeps bringing me back to Windows has always been driver issues, specifically video drivers. I can’t get native support for my laptop’s widescreen without fiddling (not good) and I can’t get out of the box native support for dual monitors on my desktop either.
In the meantime I use a lot of open source Windows applications because they often do fit my needs.
Don’t ever get turned off by something being open source.