Software is important in this day and age, and that is not changing anytime soon.
BY: IAN SCHRAUTH
Staff Writer
There’s no doubt that creating software is crucial in this day and age. It doesn’t matter if it’s a website to let you talk to people, a mobile app to keep track of times, or a Windows application to do your taxes.
With software being important, companies have found a way to capitalize off this growing industry. They do this by creating proprietary software. If you don’t know what that is, it’s essentially software that is owned and controlled by a specific entity, who also has exclusive rights to the source code and how it is distributed. Same situation with proprietary formulas in foods and supplements.
As someone that has created both Open Source software and proprietary software, the end user doesn’t know what is in the source until it’s too late.
On the other hand, there is also some software called “Open Source Software”, which is the opposite of Proprietary software. This software is controlled and owned by the public. However, you can “clone” specific software that is Open Source, but that basically becomes proprietary software in the end.
I believe that Open Source software is the way to go going forward for many reasons. The first reason why I believe this is because Open Source code is transparent. You can inspect the code, understand how it works, and verify what it does. With proprietary software, you’re locked out of this transparent process. You trust the company blindly, and that creates risk—especially in environments where privacy, security, or compliance matter.
The next reason why I believe this is because Open Source software is very flexible. You can modify it to suit your wants or needs. Proprietary software locks you into the developer’s decisions. If it doesn’t do what you want, that’s too bad. You’re stuck waiting for updates, often tied to licensing costs and support contracts.
Open Source software also encourages community, as well. There are thousands of developers around the world that contribute to projects like Linux Operating Systems, Firefox, and PostgreSQL. With all that input, it results in better software over time. Bugs get fixed faster, and the future evolves based on real use instead of corporate agendas and greed.
While Open Source software is not perfect, it overall is a better option than its greedy counterpart. It is honest, open, more human, and is the best way forward.
