Who Loves Open Source?

If you aren’t the type with the abilities (or the inclination to learn how) to get into the code and make changes yourself, and you have now particular philosophical leaning one way or the other, the decision about which piece of software to use shouldn’t be based on whether or not it is open/closed source, it should be based on what it gives you, and how well you feel it suits your need (and maybe future needs if you are planning long term).

As Chris says, there are plenty of open source applications that are very stable and well established, so ignoring one just because you don’t need to have access to the code is silly.

I like the idea that Open Source software is not tied to a company. If I love a certian closed source media player, and a company like AOL buys that media player and makes it crappy, there’s nothing I can do.
If that media player were open source, the program probably wouldn’t change too much just because of an aquisition.
I also don’t have to worry about a program not being supported anymore. The open source community is so helpful, as long as other people are using the software, there will always be support avalible.
So, while not being the ONLY reason I decide to use a software package, I would consider open source more of a feature than a draw back.

I think Scott has missed a few points about Open Source Software. He is correct that Open Source Software has value for developers since they are free to modify the code to better meet their needs. An advantage that is less obvious is the fact that millions of eyes look at the code every day so bugs and security weaknesses are found and corrected on a time scale measured in days rather than weeks or months as can be the case with Proprietary Software.

Open Source Software Projects take great care in distinguishing between alpha, beta, and stable releases. As an example, even numbered releases of the Linux kernel are considered stable while odd numbered releases are developmental (e.g.: kernel-2.6 is the stable result of the developmental kernel-2.5). The current developmental version is kernel-2.7. Other projects may use different methods, but stable and experimental releases are clearly identified in nearly all cases and you should contact the project if they are not.

The perception that Open Source Software is in any way inferior to Proprietary Software is simply incorrect. As I pointed out above, many people view the code so errors are found and corrected quickly. Many users choose to beta test software they use as an additional means of support (giving back to the community) so most packages are tested on a wider variety of hardware than is possible with Proprietary Software. User feedback also drives innovation so Open Source Software is as feature rich as users want it to be.

I think I detect a few inconsistencies in his logic which lead me to the following two questions:

1. If Open Source Software should be used only by developers who can modify the code to better meet their needs, why would developers go to the bother of developing Open Source Software that no one else will use?

2. If Open Source is the future of Software development, how will Proprietary Software companies develop software and still keep their intellectual property secret?

Open Source Software is as much about freedom as it is about a developmental model. You have the freedom to see the code for the Software running on your computer, to redistribute the code or any compilation thereof, to modify the code, to redistribute your modifications, and to install the Software compiled from the code on your computer. These freedoms are protected by the General Public License under which Open Source Software is Licensed. You should read and understand the terms of the GPL if you choose to modify or distribute software licensed under it.

I am bored! I ve installed gotomeeting,how can I meet to you all now?There is noone to meet.And my messenger prog.is in my pc sick it is disappearing and sometimes it comes again on desktop again without my call!I can’t find it in the classors when I search my pc.I can’t do anything,just reading my rss s :(

If there are two softwares one open source and one closed source, then i would try open source first. If I dont like the feel then i go to the other proprietary software. I have been using a lot of open source softwares.

I have even tried ubuntu (Free and Open Source Operating Software) in one of my computer… The Free/Open Source Software are good. You get the help much more easily.

I am not the developer, though i like them. One example is, Pidgin (previously it was called as gaim). With this i can log into my yahoo messenger, msn messenger, aol buddies, google talk people. I even have multiple yahoo and msn messenger. I just log into one software and i am logged into all of them.

Likewise there are a lot of softwares that are as good as the closed software…

i love Open source because it’s is free and easy to use. Open source software is free to use but close source software don’t like open source people what happened many open source declare bankrupt or merge. The problem with Open source software it could be more buggier than close source but safer to use. Also Linux is great open source it’s show that consumers don’t have to pay latest and best OS but also on LDEC country or poor country that will be much easier to afford rather buying illegal version of Microsoft Windows. Also good about it Open source is that how communication with community in close source you would have costumers service and solve bit harder but in open source the expert are you and other people in the world. But on the bad side its make company profile really low but and they reliable on charity which going big problem when come a suits happened with other company.

that where my feeling about open source

open source is the future its the best thing in the world people working to gather for the greater good of computer kind

I love Open Source. I am a Slackware Linux user and have been for the last 5 years. I think that Open Source software is the most up-to-date and stable software that is available. There is nothing that can be done with closed source that can not be done just as well or, better with Open Source.

The greatest thing about open source (In my honest opinion) is the community. With that, the software can grow based on the peoples needs and wants. Ubuntu has a part of there website that allows anyone to post there ideas, and others vote on them. Then the developers pick them, usually the ones with high popularity, and include them as they get a chance.

Another great thing about open source is that it allows anyone that wants to develop, work on any project that they want without having to get hired, and all of that other ****. It allows them the opportunity to learn and grow, and work with the community which really helps make a developer better at what they do. That is just my side of the arguement. I am not saying that I will choose all open source, as I still have proprietary software like yahoo, msn, and Microsoft office, but I also have programs like Adium IM, and Open Office, and use those whenever I can. I support open source as much as I can, dual booting Mac and Ubuntu Linux, but I understand that proprietary software is needed once in a while too.

The average joes sucks. There are so may of them in my highschool(along using myspace and facebook, while actually caring about “social”) that I’m alone. Fine with me, they will never know what’s an game console emulator, playing doom for free, making your own program, or anything that dwelves deep in the internet, because they are afraid of becoming nerds, which they think is a loser. Non-nerds are lame.