What is open-source and how does it benefit you?

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For the longest time, open-source was nothing more than a buzzword rattling around the brains of technologists and fans of the Linux operating system. Flash forward a decade or so and open-source has become a sort of savior for businesses across the world. Without open-source, enterprise companies everywhere would struggle to deliver on most levels.

But what exactly does that have to do with you, the consumer? Quite a bit, actually. But it's not just about how open-source benefitting businesses trickling down to us. 

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Let's take a look at how you can benefit from open-source.

What is open-source?

Before we get into the benefits of open-source, it might be good to explain what it is.

Let's examine open-source as if it were a recipe. Imagine you've concocted the perfect recipe for chocolate chip cookies. This recipe uses few ingredients but provides a unique approach to making the delicious treat. Instead of keeping that recipe to yourself, you decide to make the recipe available to everyone and even invite them to make changes to improve the recipe. The one stipulation you make is that anyone who alters the recipe must cite you as the creator of the original, should they post their changed version.

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Hundreds of people make slight alterations to your cookie recipe, which we'll call a "fork of the original" and post their versions online, giving you credit for the original. Those new versions get noticed, others download the recipe, and it goes viral to the point everyone is using your recipe (or a version of it) as their go-to.

That's essentially open-source. Everyone around the planet has access to your original recipe and use it as they see fit (so long as they cite you as the creator). Although open-source generally applies to software, it can also apply to hardware, engineering schematics, architectural designs, 3D printer files, and even cookies.

It's about costs

This is often cited as one of the biggest benefits to the consumer… cost. The vast majority of open-source software is free to use but also free of cost. Even the Linux operating system (which is also open-source) is free to download and install. Imagine, never having to pay a penny for the software you use. This is especially helpful for larger organizations, such as schools and non-profits, where having to pay for large quantities of software licenses could break the bank.

It's about freedom

When you use proprietary software, you're locked into what the creator decides. If the developers of that proprietary application decide the application can only do X, then that's all you get and there's nothing you can do about it (beyond requesting that the application also do Y).

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With open-source software, the code is readily available, so you can make changes to how it works. I realize this takes special skills but it's sometimes not as challenging as you might think. I've altered the source of applications before, with little programming experience, to make them behave in ways I deem necessary. 

Open-source does not suffer from vendor lock-in or limitation. With open-source software, you are free to do whatever you need to do in order to make those applications behave exactly how you need them.

It's all about empowerment

Over the years, I've always enjoyed that open-source software gives me a sense of empowerment. I don't have to rely on big business offerings such as Google Workspace, Office365, or iCloud. Instead, I can pick and choose the open-source applications I need, piece them together, and empower myself for success. For instance, I can install an instance of Nextcloud for a cloud-based solution for my home network. I can add an office suite to that platform and no longer need Google Docs. I can use the GIMP and forget Adobe. Add a tool like InvoicePlane into the mix and now I can do invoicing. 

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There are tens of thousands of open-source applications that can be used as puzzle pieces to put together an in-house solution to solve whatever problems or tasks you must undertake… all at your disposal for little to zero cost.

It's all about the updates

When a vulnerability is found in a piece of proprietary software, the update process often gets bottlenecked by bureaucracy. Meetings are held, investors are looped in, management has to come up with a plan, and programmers have to come up with a fix. Once the fix is complete, it goes through the usual developer vetting but could also wind up getting stuck waiting for a manager or CEO to sign off on the fix before its release. That can take weeks, even months.

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With open-source software, the process is streamlined because it doesn't have the trappings of big business to duck and dodge. A vulnerability is discovered, the developers fix it, and the fix is released. I've witnessed major security issue fixes released within hours of an issue's discovery. I've updated systems and found out there were security patches applied even before I found out there was an issue. Open-source works with an efficiency that proprietary software cannot match. That means the consumer has to suffer from fewer lingering vulnerabilities in the software they use. 

It's all about evolution

No, not biological evolution but, rather, the evolution of software. Open-source software evolves much faster than its proprietary counterpart because every developer around the world can access the code and suggest changes to either improve the app, give the app new features, or add more security. The importance of that cannot be overlooked because it helps open-source software evolve very quickly. 

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I've experienced open-source applications evolve like this over the years, such that one minute the app is limited in features, and in the blink of an eye it's evolved to include a host of improvements and features. Even better, often the developers of the software you use are accessible to the public. On several occasions, I have reached out to a developer (or team of developers) to suggest a feature in a piece of software, only to find out soon after they've implemented my change. Imagine that sort of thing happening on a regular basis and you can see how open-source software can evolve at a pace its proprietary counterpart cannot match.

Open-source software has plenty of other benefits, such as:

Most open-source projects will always be available. Even when a programmer abandons a project, someone else can fork it and bring it back to life. Open-source software enjoys innovation through communities and not companies.
Open-source is generally very ethical.
Open-source is powerful.

You get the idea. If this has piqued your curiosity about open-source, I would suggest you look into one of the many distributions of Linux, find one that appeals to you, install it, and begin your journey with open-source.