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Open Source

The Grumpy Boffin's picture
published by The Grumpy Boffin on Fri, 11/11/2011 - 16:46

What is Free Open Source Software?

Open source is free Software available quite legally over the internet: the ideal tool for the aspiring internet entrepreneur. Want to make money on line - this seems too good to be true?

But - believe it or not - it is true!

Wikipedia, part of the parallel Wiki movement, stated – in 2008 – that Open source saved users as much as $60 billion a year and although not all the providers are strictly altruistic this is not to be sniffed at.

 

Sourceforge

Sourceforge is generally thought a safe place to find open source software.

Zipped Files

The normal way of downloading a program is in a Zip file.

...use Winzip or similar to unzip them.

Check Out

Our page on Safe Downloading

Open source Software is the generic expression for computer programmes downloaded free over the internet. Anyone anywhere is entitled to download it onto their own computer and use it free of charge. In its purest sense the actual code is accessible and users are encouraged to change and improve it provided that they don’t then try to ‘sell it’ to others.

Origins

The Open source movement was born in the very early years of the internet, back in 1983 in the days when the whole concept of the ‘information highway’ was new and populated by a highly intelligent, highly motivated and idealistic band of true individualists. This early lack of disciple leaves us with occasional problems as, for instance, the word ‘free’ in this instance can mean ‘free’ as in ‘free speech’ or ‘free’ as in without cost.

Examples
However, providing that the user reads the terms and conditions of the particular programme he or she wants to download, and downloads from a reputable source there is a huge range of useful and valuable software available free of charge. Our site is built on Open source software:
  • Joomla provides all the structure and is an Open source Content Management System
  • GIMP handles all the artwork
  • Filezilla moves all the content up and down from our local computers to the server you view it on.

Day to Day Open source

These are specialist programs not normally needed by a newcomer to the web but there are many others you might like to try. Often these occur in areas where Microsoft’s dominance block out other providers who need to force their way into the market with loss leaders. The most obvious and competitive area is Web Browsers where Internet Explorer is preloaded onto most pcs sold.

Web Browsers
Competitors challenge Microsoft’s dominance here because controlling what the user sees as he approaches the internet gives an element of control on what he does next. So, for instance, Google cannot be sure that the user will be directed towards their search engine so they offer an Open source web-browser of their own – Google Chrome.
Web Browsers are case in point: to compete against the initial advantage Microsoft enjoys, Open source Web Browsers have to be noticeably better than Microsoft’s Internet Express.
Some you might like to look at are:
  • Google Chrome
  • Opera
  • Mozilla Firefox

Search Engines

Like web browsers, search engines have the power to influence which sites you visit and therefore have huge commercial clout. Google dominate the market but others want to muscle in. You may only know of Google, and in fact ‘to Google’ has now become a verb in common use, but there are in fact dozens of search engines you can download free of charge.

Other topics
Just Google ‘Free Household Accounting’ and you’ll get 275,000 Hits
The same goes for many other routine operations you might like to explore.

Be Careful

Much Malware has been downloaded with apparently honest Open source. Only ever download from reputable sources and with proper internet security software in place and activated, Just because you found the software through a reputable Search Engine and Browser does not mean that the software itself is reputable.

I use Sourceforge – run your own search for it – as my source when I download material, but you must use your own good sense to cash in to the bonanza of free good quality software that Open source offers.

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