Open Source
Open Source means that the source code of the software may be copied and distributed freely. The source code is the actual text that the programmers write before it is translated into a format that the computer can read.
Since the source code is accessible, other programmers are able to determine for themselves whether or not the software is suitable for use within a specific context or whether changes need to be made. Users are then no longer tied to a single software supplier.
Open source software grows organically; bad ideas die out, good ideas grow and are re-used in other projects. These concepts are provided by large numbers of developers throughout the world. Jointly, they provide a basis for continuous quality control and place stringent requirements on the interchangeability of the software elements. This is achieved by drawing up internationally accepted standards, or Open Standards. XML is one of the most widely known of such standards.
The success of previous projects and the expertise of developers and users worldwide improve the software. The development in the quality of open source software is driven primarily by the requirements of the end-users.
Open Source software guarantees quality and continuity for the user, because:
- the user is no longer dependent on the likelihood of the software supplier surviving,
- the user can continue to develop on the basis of the software acquired,
- the user can benefit from successful developments by others who have (previously) used the software,
- the exchange of data uses open standards such as XML.
The best-known open source software products are the Linux operating system, Mozilla Firefox, the Apache web server and OpenOffice.