Open Source
Open source software has source code that can be viewed, altered, and improved by anyone. The free-to-download software is developed, upgraded, and maintained by the professional community of software professionals who use it. It is used by programmers to define how an app or program works. Programmers can improve it by fixing bugs, adding new features, and so on. Open-source technology benefits programmers, businesses, and users; in fact, everyone who uses the internet, benefits from open-source software.
Whenever you check your email, interact with others on social media, play games, stream shows or music, or just browse, your device connects to a worldwide computer network via open-source software. It routes and sends data to the local devices in front of them, and the computers that facilitates this are located remotely – far away.
Open source software offers several benefits:
- As it is free to download, it reduces the cost of development
- Developers prefer it as it gives them greater control over the software, and end-users can use the software any way they want to.
- It is considered more secure as anyone who spots errors can fix them instead of waiting for permission
- There is no fear of the software becoming unavailable suddenly due to proprietor winding it up
- There is a huge community of programmers who use the software, who offer their knowledge and support, and help maintain and upgrade the software.