This week we take about open source.
We hear open source all over the place, but do you know
what it is? Open source refers to software that can be modified and
shared because its design is publicly accessible. The simplified version
is the source code (the part that makes up the software) can be accessed easily
and minimal to no cost, then you can add, remove, or replace any of that code
to make it your own. So if you hear that some software is open source,
then it was created by means to be distributed and used free of cost.
They some times will have a donation page asking for donations to help cover
the cost of running, maintaining, and updating the software.
Is all open source software safe to use? The short
answer is no, but the long answer is nnnnnooooooooooooo. Basically it is
a two-edged sword, on the one side you (or a programmer) have the ability to
check the source code for anything malicious, on the other side someone
malicious could have put something in that source code you don't know
about. That is one reason why you should only download software directly
from the company that created the software. When you download from third
party sites, you run the risk of downloading a tainted file.
So what are the advantages and disadvantages of using
open source software? Let us start with the advantages, firstly it is
created by people that are very talented and enjoy what they do. If these
people didn't like what they do, then they would not have created it.
Secondly, it tends to be cheaper than commercial versions. They are either
free, ask for a lower cost, or ask for a donation to the project. Thirdly,
the software is reliable, which goes hand in hand with the created by talented
people. Lastly it is flexible, since you are not tied to a proprietary
software architecture, it can be used or configured for many
platforms.
Now let us look at the disadvantages, firstly it is more
easily editable and could have malicious code hidden in it. This would go
with download it from a reputable site. Secondly, it might not be as user-friendly as it is a proprietary counterpart. Thirdly, when it comes to support
it is more community based. You might not be able to go to the
creators website and get a solution to your problems, you'll probably have to
check out forums and different post from people that had the same issue as you
and how they fixed it. Sometimes you'll find a solution, sometimes you
won't.
We all use open source software daily, Thunderbird our
email client is open source. Sometimes you just need to do a little
research to vet if the software is good and legitimate. As always if you
have any questions feel free to email me, and if you have any topic you'd like
me to talk about. Have a great week.
If you'd like to read more about open source, this is where I got some of my
information
https://connectusfund.org/7-main-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-open-source-software
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