Unix,Linux,Red Hat:
| Sounds like a very familiar term. Is it ? Heard about it in magazines, news and from people ? People say, I don't see and real significance of this word in my area. Well, it might mean nothing to us, but it means everything for people who are working day and night making software's to help the Open Source Community, so that the monopoly of Proprietary software can end. |
So what exactly is Open Source: To understand in a layman's term, Lets understand this with a Simple example:
You have a bike or a Car and after few days you got some technical problem and the bike broke down. Now the problem is that spare parts required to repair the bike are only available with One Service Center and your bike can be repaired at that place only. You are suppose to take your bike at any service center as per your choice and get it repaired there. But the manufacturer is not giving the spare part to any other service center and hence no one can repair it. And now they can charge you what ever they like , since they are the owners of that spare part. Ain't that bad? Its a monopoly by force. How would you feel ? You want the spare part to be available to all and any person or service center can use it and repair your Vehicle.
And in software terms, its like giving the Source code along with the software that a organization is selling to the client. A bit weird for you, no? I mean, you can argue that why would someone will share it recipe along with the dish. But the Open Source Community believes that it should be shared because, you are not alone the owner of this recipe. Its an idea created by millions of software developers, which an organization use for its own business and earn from it and the real developer gets only small percent of share in the name of Salary or remuneration. They need to be given their due equally and that's why Open Source believes the Source needs to be shared.
We can take a note here that Open Source doesn't mean its free. As the saying goes: "There is Nothing Called Free Lunch". And Open Source supports it properly. You can charge whatever you want and if your stuff is good, people will pay it , but you are suppose to share the code also as if i want to upgrade it future, you can have someone else to do it or you can go back to them,if they are best in it.
And that's what organizations, which believe in Open Source Concept, do. They make a Software, either they put it for free or lets say they sell it to you or some other organization at some cost(cost of making a software for your organization) and they also give you the source code along with it , so that you can change it or enhance it or you can give it to some other vendor to enhance it , who you might fell can do better customization. So its a win-win for all. You are getting better stuff and you are free to getting it done by any Vendor whom you feel is competent enough to give you a better quality software. You can get it repaired your self also and you need not to be dependent upon the same vendor to repair it for you who are only waiting for such situation to arise.
I hope it clear it. Let me know your comments on the same.
