Proprietary technology can make things great, just look at Apple and Microsoft. But, on the other hand, their systems are closed down harder than a safe which is underground and protected by lasers, mines, and potentially dangerous prehistoric animals.
On the other hand, there is a different world, where coders and developers work together on the technology available to all. This, to an extent, brought us the Internet, and with it, some very interesting things, like online casinos, which entice new users with promo codes like this greenplay Bonus Code.
The world in question is the world of open source, which started in the late 70s. Here is everything you want to know about open source.
Open Source – The Earliest History
Open source was already in the minds of people who created technology back in the late 1970s. It really started with projects like TeX and GNU, but it wasn’t until 1998 and NetScape that open source actually took off. NetScape’s source code was used to build one of the largest if not best open-source browsers, Firefox, developed by the Mozilla Foundation.
The open-source foundation was founded in 1998, which actually officially marked the start of Open Source Development, even though there were plenty of projects of that nature prior to the “official” founding.
What Does Open Source Mean?
Open source should be distinguished from free projects. There are plenty of projects and software that you can download and use for free, but they are not open source. This is an important thing.
Open source projects have their source code open to the world (hence the name), and everybody can view it. Free projects can be used, but you are unlikely to get access to the source code unless you are hired to work on the project.
Open source means everybody gets to see the code, and that everybody can contribute to it. Nothing malicious can be hidden in open source software, due to the very nature of it, it is transparent and visible to everybody (though, realistically, only people with programming knowledge can understand the code).
Why is it Important? – The Importance of Transparency
Open-source is very important to our world, where everything is handled by giant corporations which to an extent intrude and disrupt our privacy. Open-source software gives you an alternative, one which people can help develop or enjoy and support if they so like.
Typically speaking, not many open-source projects are as good as those which are funded by giant corporations, though operating systems like the many Linux and Unix distributions are absolutely amazing.
With more support to open-source projects, there will be more alternatives that will bring competition. Though, open-source software is free while proprietary software is often something you have to pay for.
The open-source movement is very important and it keeps the world honest to an extent. It provides us with many alternatives to software developed by huge companies which tend to violate our privacy (though voluntarily, something we agree to upon downloading and using the software).
