Hail to open source

I was reminded to write this short article while I came across an advertisement, Open Source Convention (OSCON) to be held on July 21-25, 2008. Annually, the activity aims to bring open source enthusiasts and professionals together to celebrate the principles of open source computing. OSCON is already in its 10th year anniversary.

But what is open source? Nowadays open source is defined in different perspective. In my point of view, open source is the product of collaborative efforts by individuals in different geographical locations. It aims in providing excellent solution to particular IT issues and challenges. The source code is shared among experts in that particular field, hence it's called open source. Then it is subjected to continuous scrutiny and deliberation. Thereof, the end product made by many minds, are better than made by a single mind.

Well-known examples of open source products are Apache, Firefox and Ubuntu. Apache is the most popular web server topping the cyber space for many years. While Firefox in a matter of time will soon gain the top web browser honor, Ubuntu linux has beeen recently adjudged by many as the best alternative to MS Windows operating systems. So far, it is the user-friendliest among other Linux distributions. Surprisingly, these open sources are offered FREE of charge.

Open source's popularity is showing a big impact in the business community. There are quite numerous moves by some giant companies involving open source products. Many big computer brands continue selling computers and laptops preloaded with Linux, Sun Microsystems' acquired MySQL the most popular open source database, and Google is currently sponsoring the Wine improvement for Photoshop to work under Linux.

Open source is such a rewarding product. As an individual I have benefited a lot from open source without spending a single cent. It is not too late however to express my gratitude to those generous contributors. Thank you and may you have many more birthdays to come.