What is Open Source?

Open source is a program accompanied with source code that any individual can modify or extend. Any person using the open source can deal with broken links, improve design, or the basic code. One of the examples of open source is open source software (OSS) that has the power of increasing the scope of design ideas better than one organization or design work committee. Open source, when followed properly, offers users a significant amount of savings.

When is Something Open Source?

It takes a village to raise a child goes well with the concept of open source. For making a product and ensuring that it offers effective use to the final consumer, individuals in several departments and with a specific set of talents are required to assess the functioning of the product. Platforms that are formed on the grounds of collaboration perform better and do not have much bugs. There are many software developers who strongly support the open source approach as it offers authority to any interested user to make changes in the source code of a product, thereby making it more user-friendly, and free of errors in the long-run. Some of the open source platforms include Mozilla FireFox, Google Chrome, Wordpress, etc. As the source codes of these platforms are visible to all, it makes it easier for technology students to gain knowledge about coding, and design more reliable source codes. By analyzing the base of open source applications, this approach leads to the formulation of better applications ahead.

Open Source in Practice

Open source is also known as free software as it markets the concept of redistributing its source codes free of cost. The source, being a built-in function, informs about the working of the application. Proprietary software, also known as closed source, where a person, team or firm who created the code, has the sole right of making any changes in codes of software or applications. While using proprietary software, the users have to abide by the guidelines stated in the license by the developer. This software is a complete opposite of open source as using the software, the users need to agree to the rules related to changing, using, and selling the software. For instance, there are some open source licenses that mentions that in case, a user modifies or sells a program to somebody else, he or she must also provide them with the source code totally free of cost.

Advantages of Open Source

Because of no permission involved, open source policy allows the programmers or software developers to fix and improve the existing source code of an application quickly. In case of closed source programs, a notification or intimation needs to be given to the firm or code developers, and users may find it frustrating to wait until the creator makes any modifications or improvements to the software or application. A huge open source channel invites innovation and creativity for fintech subjects such as cloud computing, big data, blockchain technology, etc. As the technology benefits from a huge amount of information, organizations have started being flexible towards different open source methods and involving outside users who can instill their efforts and knowledge and explore prospective opportunities for the information shared. The essence of open source is more than merely making contributions to the code. Recently, software developers, programmers, etc. have found applications with a view to foster partnership among users worldwide in every possible field.