Why Open Source

Open source is a set of principles and practices on how to write software,
the most important of which is that the source code is openly available.

Why Open Source???

• Free Redistribution: the software can be freely given away or sold. (This was intended to encourage sharing and use of the software on a legal basis.)

• Source Code: the source code must either be included or freely obtainable.(Without source code, making changes or modifications can be impossible.)

• Derived Works: redistribution of modifications must be allowed.

• Integrity of The Author's Source Code: licenses may require that modifications are redistributed only as patches.

• No Discrimination against Persons or Groups: anyone can be locked out.

• No Discrimination against Fields of Endeavor: commercial users cannot be excluded.

• Distribution of License: The rights attached to the program must apply to all to whom the program is redistributed without the need for execution of an additional license by those parties.

• License Must Not Be Specific to a Product: the program cannot be licensed only as part of a larger distribution.

• License Must Not Restrict Other Software: the license cannot insist that any other software it is distributed with must also be open source.

• License Must Be Technology-Neutral: no click-wrap licenses or other medium-specific ways of accepting the license must be require

Open Source Does Have Advantages

• Good way for business to achieve greater penetration of the market

• Lower total cost of ownership

• Reduced dependence on software vendors

• Easier to customize

• Higher level of security