The acronym FLOSS stands for Free, Libre, Open-Source
Software. I am a major proponent of the open-source movement and how its roots
in software are now branching off into other industries. Open source software
is predicated on the idea that software should be free, easily available and
modifiable. Take for example the Apache HTTP server, which is a web server used
to serve more than 54% of active websites on the internet, and has been the
most popular web server (largest market share) since 1996. Now why does that
fact matter? It matters because the Apache HTTP server is open source! Meaning
it costs exactly $0 to license.
While this may seem like a boring piece of
information, I would argue it is extremely important for innovation on the web.
Having a web server that is free means people who might have otherwise not been
able to implement their ideas due to software licensing costs of web server
software now have a totally viable option. However being free to use is only
part of the story. In addition the code base for open source projects like the
Apache HTTP server are available online free to download and modify.
This
means if I don’t like the way something particular in an open source project
works or is implemented, I am free to modify the code to my liking. The most
powerful aspect of the open source movement though is the community driven
development of projects. Again I’ll use the Apache HTTP server as an example
here. Everyone who wants a website needs to have a web server to host their site
on, but many people have different requirements, or features they want
available from that server. I’m fairly confident that in 1996 when the Apache
HTTP server project started that it didn't have the functionality to stream HD
video, but somewhere along the line someone needed that ability, consequently
added that to the source code, and since it is open source shared that
improvement with the community so that everyone benefits from the additional
code.
That’s the best, and most powerful part of open source software. When
someone downloads the source code and modifies it, they often will submit these
changes back to the community. This allows the software to keep pace with
current needs, and has the added benefit of making improvements to the software
virtually free. Like I said, I am very much in favor of this kind of thinking in
general. There are even ‘open source’ movements in other industries, which I
think is good for innovation, and general technological progress. An example in
computer hardware would be the Arduino project. Arduino uses the same concept
that open source software has but applies it to a circuit board that can be
modified and also actually physically manufactured. This allows anyone with the
knowledge and time to essentially design and build their own computer hardware,
without having to pay some licensing fee or deal with the EULA from a large
corporation. All in all, I believe open source thinking is the future model of
collaboration and innovation in a growing number of industries, and that is
good for everyone.
