What is open Source?

For software under a license that meets the Open Source Definition, see Open source software.
Not to be confused with Free Software.


Open source describes practices in production and development that promote access to the end product's source materials—typically, their source code. Some consider open source a philosophy, others consider it a pragmatic methodology. Before the term open source became widely adopted, developers and producers used a variety of phrases to describe the concept; open source gained hold with the rise of the Internet, and the attendant need for massive retooling of the computing source code. Opening the source code enabled a self-enhancing diversity of production models, communication paths, and interactive communities.  Subsequently, a new, three-word phrase "open source software" was born to describe the environment that the new copyright, licensing, domain, and consumer issues created.

The open source model includes the concept of concurrent yet different agendas and differing approaches in production, in contrast with more centralized models of development such as those typically used in commercial software companies

Open source is a philosophy which suggests that the source code behind something should be freely available to the public. The principle originated in the software industry in the late 1990s, with several releases of open source software and operating systems, and it has since diffused into other communities as well. There are a number of strong arguments for releasing something in open source format, whether it be a recording, a software tool, or an entire operating system.Ads by Google

The main advantage to open source is that it allows end users to directly interact with the source, potentially modifying it to suit their wishes. This encourages constant development and innovation, while also creating a community of shared information. Many companies which produce open source products rely on the innovations of users to expand features and to identify and fix potential weak points, and these companies actively encourage modification of their products.

There are varying levels of open source. In some cases, for example, an open source release may have certain restrictions, in which case some people prefer the term “shared source,” or “shared commons.” For example, someone may release a recording in open source format, but ask people not to profit from their retooling of the album. Many advocates of the open source philosophy prefer truly open source, allowing people to do whatever they want with the source code and the end product.