Why use Open Source? (was Mozilla 1.2)

[chemistry_geek]

One aspect of open source that no one else here has mentioned when compared to closed source software is that the programmers are donating their free time to the project. They are truly passionate about the work they are doing. They are not locked in a cubicle and chained to a desk deep inside a corporate vault being paid for programming some mind-numbing project. I think the best work comes from people who are truly passionate about their work.

For example, as a graduate student I oftened tutored one student for FREE for an entire year. The subject of money was never brought up for my tutoring services. Yeah, I needed the money very badly, but it was more important for me to see this student succeed than to view her as a cash source. In the end, she did pay me a rather large lump sum; I was completely shocked. The nice thing about this is that I've made a new friend.

The other aspect about open source is that the parties involved are more likely to network with others in their work rather than keep their projects confidential. The goals of open source software and closed source software are very different indeed. The closed source model is about providing a product or service to make a PROFIT. The open source model is about providing a product or service for PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT AND GROWTH.

 

[UtaTr3y]

IMO neither closed source nor proprietary software is better. The main differences are only worth while to state if you are selling to a computer programmer. Open Source means that the source code for the program is available. Depending on the liscence, a programmer is free to change up the souce and re distribute the application. If you have no idea how to code, having the source is useless.

Even less relivant is the differences between BSD and GPL liscenses. They are based around the same general terms, only BSD wanted the liscense to be far more simple to understand, and far more bendable. Open Source means free as in speech, not free as in beer. Companies are free to charge as much as they like for a product, they simply have to distribute the source to hold the liscence.

Mozilla is open source, yes... but as I stated, that is not important to most users here... Mozilla is the open source version of Netscape, most of you would do fine and dandy with the full version of Netscape 7 (I think)...

 

[fryke]

Even for non-programmers, open source can be useful compared to closed source. For example, you can compile some software without all the features you don't need. Apache for example. Of course this option can be added to closed source applications by selecting features before installing, but performance-wise, selecting features at compiling time is better.

Open source also leads to faster bug-fixing, as a user can not only submit a bug report but a fix, too. Yes, we users won't do that very often - but if there are a few clever people, things can move on faster (and they do), which is important for security issues.

 

[Javintosh]

you can also trust open source software more than closed source software. you might not be able to review open source code for hidden nasties, but someone else can and you benefit from it.

I remember reading a story in The Register about open vs closed source. They pointed out to some piece of software from Borland that was recently open sources. apparently, borland added a little something to spy on their customers. open source programmers found it in their third week of the code review and pormptly exiced it.

you can bet that a lot of the open source initiatives by other countries are as much about saving $ as they are about making sure the US does not spy on the other countries.

PS>I work for Xerox, during the cold war years, Xerox sold and serviced the main copy machine in the Russian embassy. The CIA approached Xerox and requested that we find a way to add a camera to the copier (copier were *much* noisier back then, easily hidding the noise from the shutter). The Rep came to service the machine every week and every week he changed the roll of film in the copier when he changed the other materials as part of regular service.