Difference between revisions of "Free and open-source software/Intro"

Revision as of 18:40, 15 January 2007 (view source) CharlesC (Talk | contribs) ← Older edit		Revision as of 22:08, 16 January 2007 (view source) CharlesC (Talk | contribs) Newer edit →
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−	[[Image:Coloured GNU.png|90px|right| GNU logo]] '''Free and open-source software''' also known simply as '''Free software''' or '''Open source software''' is a development model involving loose networks of people connected by the internet who collaborate to create and evolve software that is also made freely available for anyone to use. Not only is the end product available to all but the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Source_code source code] used to create it is can be freely viewed and modified as well. This is the code that commercial software firms normally keep secret. '''Free software''' is not the same as '''freeware''' or '''shareware''' which although might be free to download, does not usually come with source code and cannot be freely modified or redistributed.	+	[[Image:Coloured GNU.png|90px|right| GNU logo]] '''Free and open-source software''' also known simply as '''Free software''' or '''Open source software''' is a development model involving loose networks of people connected by the internet who collaborate to create and evolve software that is also made freely available for anyone to use. As well as the end product being freely available, the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Source_code source code] used to create it is can be downloaded and modified too. This is the human readable programming code that commercial software firms normally keep secret.
	Making source code available means anyone with the programming ability can customise the software for their own ends or contribute to the development project directly. Others can help by reporting bugs and helping with documentation or translation efforts. So this encouragement of interaction between users and developers, and user ''becoming'' developers, creates a positive feedback loop in the software's evolution. Open source is becoming a very prominent method of software production and poses a serious challenge to commercial products - as the quality of open-source software approaches and supercedes commercial software, how will software companies compete with free?		Making source code available means anyone with the programming ability can customise the software for their own ends or contribute to the development project directly. Others can help by reporting bugs and helping with documentation or translation efforts. So this encouragement of interaction between users and developers, and user ''becoming'' developers, creates a positive feedback loop in the software's evolution. Open source is becoming a very prominent method of software production and poses a serious challenge to commercial products - as the quality of open-source software approaches and supercedes commercial software, how will software companies compete with free?
−	The word 'free' in the title isn't referring to the cost of the software, although it is usually that too, it means users have the freedom to use the software as they wish, modify it and redistribute it. <noinclude>{{refresh|Free and open-source software}}</noinclude>	+	Although 'free software' is available free of charge, the 'free' in the title actually refers to the user's freedoms, which are the freedom to use the software as they wish, the freedom to modify it and the freedom to redistribute it. It should be also noted that 'Free software' is not the same thing as 'freeware' or 'shareware' which although they might be free to download, do not usually come with source code and cannot be freely modified or redistributed. <noinclude>{{refresh|Free and open-source software}}</noinclude>

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Revision as of 22:08, 16 January 2007

Free and open-source software also known simply as Free software or Open source software is a development model involving loose networks of people connected by the internet who collaborate to create and evolve software that is also made freely available for anyone to use. As well as the end product being freely available, the source code used to create it is can be downloaded and modified too. This is the human readable programming code that commercial software firms normally keep secret.

Making source code available means anyone with the programming ability can customise the software for their own ends or contribute to the development project directly. Others can help by reporting bugs and helping with documentation or translation efforts. So this encouragement of interaction between users and developers, and user becoming developers, creates a positive feedback loop in the software's evolution. Open source is becoming a very prominent method of software production and poses a serious challenge to commercial products - as the quality of open-source software approaches and supercedes commercial software, how will software companies compete with free?

Although 'free software' is available free of charge, the 'free' in the title actually refers to the user's freedoms, which are the freedom to use the software as they wish, the freedom to modify it and the freedom to redistribute it. It should be also noted that 'Free software' is not the same thing as 'freeware' or 'shareware' which although they might be free to download, do not usually come with source code and cannot be freely modified or redistributed.

Refresh Free and open-source software with updated text