What are the advantages of Open Source Technologies or softwares over proprietary softwares?

The fact that it’s free – as in free beer – is nice. But that fact that’s free as in free speech is nicer.

Open Source software means that source code is available to anyone that wishes to see it. You can copy it, modify it and even redistribute it. Usually the only requirement put on you is that you credit the original authors and you provide the same rights to anyone that your redistribute to. This ensures that the open source doesn’t become close. There are many licenses that are “open source approved”

One of the biggest advantages of open source software is the peer review process. When we encounter a bug in a Microsoft product there is no way for anyone outside the company to review, fix and verify the bug. When there is a bug in open source software engineers from anywhere and everywhere can help resolve it. This goes for new feature development as well.

Another advantage of this openness is that developers can’t embed spyware and other malicious code into their products without it being discovered by the community. That’s not to say Open Source software can’t still have security flaws. It can, but I feel safer knowing I can look – and others are looking – at the code to see what it really does.

So, one reason to move to Open Source Software is because you can get copies of it for free. But the best reason to move to OSS is because it meets your requirements without all of the restrictions.

You can find many open source (and other freeware) software at the Free Software Catalog: http://www.gara.com/free-software/

Try some out and see for your self. After all, it’s free!!