Open Source Software: A Revolution?
Today, some of the most powerful software available is free. Anybody with an internet connection can download and use the software at without having to pay for it. It is developed by programmers who do it because they enjoy it. All they ask in return is donations from those who can afford it. On top of the free software, documentation is provided on how anybody with programming knowledge, can build add-ons and add additional functionality to the existing program base. This is open source software.
Perhaps the most famous open source software is WordPress, a blogging platform that has been around since 2001. But there are a growing number of open source programs that can help you with almost any task. PrestaShop is an open source e-commerce platform that can be used for free by anybody who wants to open an online store. Flowplayer is an open source web video player. Thunderbird is an open source e-mail client from the makers of the popular Firefox internet browser, that is giving Outlook Express a run for its money. There is even an entirely open source office suite – OpenOffice – and an open source operating system – Linux. In fact, you could run your PC totally on open source programs!
The lack of a price tag obviously contributes greatly to the popularity of these software programs. But the real key to their success is more than that. The idea of being able to create your own functionality to software by creating a little add-on is quite a revolutionary idea. There are thousands of WordPress plugins and a growing number of PrestaShop modules that add functionality to the software which the original designers had not thought of, or had not bothered to implement yet.
The philosophy of mass colaboration to realize a goal with no financial incentive is a world changing idea that is now breaking the borders of the software industry in which it was born and spreading into other fields. The open source philosophy has the power to change the world.