Open+Source

=Definition= toc Open Source is a philosophy regarding knowledge and cultural production. This philosophy has been used (avant la lettre) by Benjamin Franklin who allowed all his inventions such as bifocals to be accessible to the general public. Currently there is an Open Source recipe for a Coke/Pepsi-type softdrink circulating. Anyone can take that recipe, make it, and tweak it to their own tastes. Due to the distribution possibilities on the internet, Open Source Software has exploded, although in the history of modern computers, this philosophy began to be articulated and carried out through loosely-connected groups of programmers ever since the 1950s.

=Open Source Software= Open Source software allows a person to download not just the software but the code for the software so additions and tweaks can be made. It has various licenses that can restrict the use of the software such as requiring that it not be used in money-making ventures. Also, users of Open Source software are encouraged to donate money to the creators of a particular software program so that they can continue to add to it and improve it. The following article can provide a much more detailed introduction to Open Source philosophy and software: [] It also has lists (scroll down to the bottom) of different types of Open Source software that can be tried out.

=Open Source Software and Operating Systems= Different operating systems (Windows, Mac, and Linux) have different coding structures, so some programs may be available for only one operating system/platform. Additionally within each operating system are variations such as Windows 98, Millenium, XP, Vista, and 7 or the various types of Linux (Ubuntu, Open SUSE, Mandriva, etc.). Some programs will be limited to a particular "flavor" of operating system. Some will also have several different versions for a range of operating systems.

Other programs are "cross-platform" or "OS agnostic" which means that they will run on just about any operating system. The reason to keep this factoid in mind is that it will help you to choose the right option to download.

=Open Source and $$$= When a corporation has a patent or copyright on some technology, it is incumbent upon users to avoid violating the terms of the copyright agreements. Users who fail to do this can open themselves up to huge fines as various industries try to police their intellectual material. Inevitably piracy occurs and for every new security system (which might actually interfere with legitimate users' use of the program or hardware) there is a group of people who can figure out how to beat it and publish their hack, often within 24 hours of the release. Many people want something like Photoshop, which is expensive, but they don't want to pay a few hundred dollars for a program they only use occasionally and for recreation. This desire drives piracy.

With Open Source, people are encouraged to share both the software and the source code. It is much more difficult to break an Open Source licensing agreement. While this arrangement seems to suggest that software (and hardware) corporations will become non-profit, in fact there are corporations who make money from Open Source software. For example, the Canonical corporation hosts Ubuntu, a type of Linux that provides a comfortable, education-focused environment as an operating system. Canonical doesn't make money from the software--that is free. But when a school system or other large group decides to use Ubuntu for a large amount of machines, then they can purchase support from Canonical. This reduces the cost for everyone and still allows some profit to be made.

=Where to Find Open Source Programs= When it comes to downloading programs and installing them on your computer, there are a few safety issues to note. Make sure your virus protection is up to date because some people like to put nasty stuff in "free" software.

Look for genuine open source programs. There are several ways to identify these:
 * Look for open source licensing ([])
 * Look for sites that only host open source software such as []
 * Look for sites that contain technical information about the software
 * There are a lot of education sites that have open source educational software as well as sites that have open source adaptive software. These are typically safe.

Avoid
 * "Freeware" sites. While there is some great freeware out there, freeware is also a place where many people attach trojan horses and other unpleasant computer attacks
 * Sites that have a sleazy feel about them--not professionally designed or not presenting technical information. If the site puts you in mind of a used car sales person in a polyester suit, then go find a different site.

Do a search for Open Source Software and look at the sites. Often the sites that suggest "20 best Open Source programs" and the like will have a similar core of software such as Firefox, Open Office, and so forth.

Once you find a program that is potentially interesting, do a search on the program name so that you can find the original source for downloading the program. If a site suggests GIMP, then search GIMP and go to that original website to download it.

=Examples of Open Source Programs= [] Huge list of programs. This kind of thing on wikipedia gets maintained by people who care about open source and safety, so their recommendations can be trusted.

[] Educational Open Source software.

[] Educational Open Source software from our cousins in the United Kingdom. This site also has a list of other good sites for downloading Open Source software

[] One of those collections of open source tools. It has a core of popular open source programs as well as a few that are less popular.

[] One of the coolest things about Open Source is the programming to meet needs of people with disabilities. This means that with an ordinary laptop you can have a collection of Open Source software that can help students become productive learners.

[] A search engine for Open Source software.