Response to lecture 5

Response to lecture 5:
Open source software

Today's lecture introduced the concept of 'open source software', not only as a lecture topic but also a new realm of computer to this lay-person. Open source software, as described in the lecture, was born about from the ideal of collective good for the community, sharing intellectual capacities and programming skills among a community to create resources and share them among the community. Open source software, from a computer techy standard point differs from propriety software in a fundamental way, open source soft allows you access to the source code, so you, as a capable programmer could alter the program... Something that could send you to gaol if you attempted to do so to some propriety software such as windows. But how it differs from propriety software from a socialist perspective is what caught my attention. One of the fundamental defining qualities of open source software is that it can be copied and shared, meaning that you are welcomed to make a copy of your software, share it with a neighbor, or put it on the Internet, for others to benefit. Open source software (in my perspective) is creating a shift in society and the nature of software, a shift from profiteering to community.

My experience in open source software. As we were urged in the lecture I have downloaded GNU/Linux and currently using it as my operating system on my computer. So far I am impressed with the software, it is easy to use and follows a similar format and function to the big name operating system. In the spirit of open source software, although I can't make a contribution to the software itself, I am making an effort to contribute to community by spreading the word. I have introduced the concept of open sourced software and assisted a few family and friends to download GNU/Linux and/or Mozilla firefox. In hopes that my contribution to the free software movement will be to extend the community and maybe make computing a little better for some.