The Chronicles of the Aspiring Geek continue in 2019 and today, I jump into the world of open source to try to demystify it. Here we go!
Let’s start with a definition
Open source means that the source code of a software is public and accessible. This means that it usually comes with a license that allows programmers to modify the software or contribute to it in any way they want: they can fix bugs, improve features, or adapt the software to their own needs.
To further democratize the process, here’s a more graphic example : a potluck to which you decide to bring a cheesecake.
All the people invited to the potluck taste the cake ( use )
The cake is a success! The guests ask you for the recipe, which you send them with great pleasure ( read )
A friend, Alexandra, a pastry chef, suggests reducing sugar ( edit, contribute )
Another friend, Thomas, asks to use it for a dinner that will take place next week ( distribute ).
In comparison, a closed-source process would be like albania telephone number data going to a restaurant and ordering a cheesecake. You would, of course, have to pay to eat the cake, and even if you asked, the restaurant wouldn’t give you the recipe. Furthermore, if you reproduced a cake using the exact same recipe and sold it under your own name, the restaurant could take action against you.
Another example: I found the above analogy on the Open Source guide site: I used it (by reading it), modified it (cherry pie vs cheesecake + translated it into French) and then redistributed it (by adding it to this article).
Easier to imagine now, right?
via GIPHY
Founded over 20 years ago, 2024 in retrospect and the end of the spk ecosystem the non-profit Open Source Initiative has been a leader in the field and has established a 10-point definition of open source that includes the free redistribution of software, availability of code, anti-discrimination and ownership of licenses. In 2018 alone, projects on the Github platform, one of the largest sources of open source projects, received 1.1 billion contributions from over 3 million developers worldwide.
Open source vs. free software
Although these terms are often used to describe the same thing, they are a bit different. Both offer the ability to download and modify software for free and without restrictions. However, free software – a concept developed in the 1980s by MIT computer science researcher Richard Stallman – is defined by four conditions outlined by the American non-profit organization Free Software Foundation. These “four freedoms” emphasize the ability of users to use and enjoy software as they wish. In contrast, the ten criteria of open source, developed by the Open Source Initiative ten years later, place more emphasis on the modification of software and its consequences.
Humans at the heart of open source
One of the most appreciat aspects of open source is definitely the human aspect . Although at Spektrum, we favor face-to-face meetings and discussions, we cannot deny that open source brings a collaborative aspect that confirms the fact that even remotely, we can create beautiful things.
Inde, open source projects are built business to consumer reviews around communities that support each other, coming from all over the world to share knowlge and learn more. Beautiful virtual and real friendships can also result from it, as the two examples below demonstrate.
Mathieu, co-founder of Braver and a specimen of the SPK ecosystem, had set up an open source project to meet the nes of his startup CQerl. One day, an unknown developer bas in.
Montreal report a problem to him. As he was about to fix the glitch, he realiz that another Australian contributor had already taken care of it! “In the end, we said to ourselves that we would all have a beer together if we were all in the same city at the same time,” he says. Olivier, a programmer at Spektrum, had a similar experience when he contribut to an application project creat by an entrepreneur he admir. He end up meeting the CEO at a 5 à 7 a few years later, completely by chance!
Dig a little deeper
While I want to stick to the surface of the topic for this short column, I could have definitely dug deeper and explain more concepts and topics relat to open source. If this article piqu your curiosity and you want to learn more, I highly suggest these resources: