Hello again! In case you missed my last post a couple of weeks ago, I’m going to be putting up a series of “Words to the wise” – those technical words that sound really confusing at first, but are simple once someone’s just told you what they mean, in plain English. The first one was “File Extensions”. This week it’s “Open Source”
Example: Open Office, Mozilla Firefox, Linux
Definition:
When a program is “open source”, it means it is freely avilable for the public.Unlike commercial software, open source programs can be modified and distributed by a community, rather than a single organization (like Microsoft!).
Since it can be modified by anyone, it can also be freely downloaded and used. But because it is free, usually there isn’t much technical support available.
Using open source software can be a really good way to save money, and usually they are developed to be easier to use (as more people get a say in what the software looks like / what features it offers). You can usually make a donation to the people who create the software, too. For example, a lot of you will have downloaded something by Piriform at some point. You might remember that it gives you the option to pay for the software, but there is also the link to download it free of charge. The buy option is treated like a set donation!
Hope you found that useful. If you have any more questions, please let me know! I will be back with another “Word to the Wise” in a couple of weeks.
Georgia
