Open source is a term used to refer to something that many people can share and modify because of its publicly accessible design. This term has its origin in the software development world, where it is designated for a specific approach used to create computer programs.
However, it has adopted a broader usage in today’s world. It is used to describe open source projects, initiatives, products to celebrate and embrace available exchange principles, rapid prototyping, collaborative participation, community-oriented development, transparency, and meritocracy.
Open-source software has a source code that’s accessible for anyone to enhance, modify, or inspect. Open source code is the code that programmers can easily manipulate to change the way software, application, or program works. When programmers have access to the source code of a computer program, they can quickly improve the program by fixing parts of it that don’t work well or adding extra features to it.
Why People Use Open-Source Software
- Control: open-source software gives people unrestricted control over the software.
- Training: it can be used to train programmers to become better at what they do.
- Security: open source software is considered more stable and secure than proprietary software.
- Community: it inspires developers and users to form a community around the software.
