The Open Source (OS) movement is in many ways a return to the software world before Bill Gates. Bill had a hard time convincing people that software was a commercial product and that you had to pay real money before you could use it. In the 80's I belonged to a software club that sent out a floppy disk each month with new applications and utilities that I could load into my computer. The cost of membership could be paid by real money or contributions to the software library. This model worked well for an emerging industry.
A key component to OS that most users don't consider is that you can have access to the source code and not just the executable code. With access to the source code, developers can modify the code for their specific and unique purposes. Once a developer makes the modifications they can opt to share the modified code with the OS community. An insightful developer will probably supply their code as an add-on to the delivered code. This way when revisions are made to the application, the developer doesn't need to edit the new version's code to apply his new code. As an add-on, it is available to the new version as well without the need for additional coding.
Open Source is not synonymous with "Freeware". Freeware does not usually make the source code available to the user. OS is not necessarily free! I downloaded a database design tool (DBDesigner) that is so complicated that for-fee training and consulting is necessary. OS is just a different business model. The company gives away the code but charges for other necessary services.
I had no idea the OS concept had been around since the 80's! Of course I didn't get my first computer until I was in 6th grade which would have been 1992 and even then it was a basic, had no bells & whistles, computer. I think I used it only to play solitar!
ReplyDeleteKrystle,
ReplyDeleteWhen PC's were first making their way into homes, the idea was that you bought the hardware and that the software was developed and distributed in large part by individual at no or minimal cost. An interesting film that depicts this period is the 1999 film, "Pirates of Silicon Valley". The story of Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, and the early development of the home computer is told in an interesting manner.