What is Open Source?
Many of the Web design projects that we work on make use of open source technologies. So, just what is open source?
The most basic definition of open source would be applications, scripts and the like, that provide the source code used to create them. The license agreement allows end users to modify the source code to improve the application or customize it to their liking. This means that with open source projects their are many, in some cases, hundreds of people working towards the common goal of making it the best it can be, without the concern of a profit and loss statement.
So if you’re not a developer, what does open source mean to you?
Well, for one, it most often means a much lower price point—if any at all. Many open source solutions are completely free while other are available at a minimal charge. This has certainly contributed to the rapid growth and availability of open source solutions and means you’ll only need someone to integrate these solutions rather than develop and test them from scratch.
There is a wide support base for open source technologies. True, you may not be able to pick up the phone and dial tech support and sit on hold for an hour, but there is plenty of information available on the Web. And, for many solutions, there are third-party companies that will provides tech support for a fee.
Using non-proprietary, open source solutions gives you portability should you ever need to move your site from one kind of server to another. If your site is built in .ASP or .NET you're pretty much stuck on a Windows server. If your site is built in PHP, you could move it to any major platform.
If you would like more information about open source technologies, and specifically how they can be used in your Web site, please feel free to contact me.