{"id":326252,"date":"2021-08-16T22:00:17","date_gmt":"2021-08-16T19:00:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/why-should-you-use-open-source-software-review-geek\/"},"modified":"2021-08-16T22:00:17","modified_gmt":"2021-08-16T19:00:17","slug":"why-should-you-use-open-source-software-review-geek","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-should-you-use-open-source-software-review-geek\/","title":{"rendered":"#Why Should You Use Open-Source Software? \u2013 Review Geek"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a27194fcfeed\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a27194fcfeed\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-should-you-use-open-source-software-review-geek\/#What_Is_Open_Source_Software\" >What Is Open Source Software?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-should-you-use-open-source-software-review-geek\/#Software_Freedom\" >Software Freedom<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-should-you-use-open-source-software-review-geek\/#Mods_and_Forks\" >Mods and Forks<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-should-you-use-open-source-software-review-geek\/#A_Few_Downsides\" >A Few Downsides<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-should-you-use-open-source-software-review-geek\/#Should_You_Actually_Use_Open-Source_Software\" >Should You Actually Use Open-Source Software?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p><strong>&#8220;#Why Should You Use Open-Source Software? \u2013 Review Geek&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<div id=\"article-content-area\">\n<figure style=\"width: 1600px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"type:primaryImage wp-image-94491 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/p\/uploads\/2021\/08\/e7e44edc.jpg?width=400 400w, https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/p\/uploads\/2021\/08\/e7e44edc.jpg?width=1200 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, 400w, 1200w\" src=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/p\/uploads\/2021\/08\/e7e44edc.jpg?width=1200\" alt=\"Why Should You Use Open-Source Software text over gray and blue background\" width=\"1600\" height=\"900\" data-credittext=\"Google\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"type:primaryImage imagecredit\">Google<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Open-source software is something you\u2019ve likely come across on the internet, commonly made by smaller development teams as free alternatives to popular programs. But this goes much further than price\u2014open-source programs offer a lot of other positives that make them worth using.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Is_Open_Source_Software\"><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" name=\"autotoc_anchor_0\">What Is Open Source Software?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<figure style=\"width: 1600px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-94493 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/p\/uploads\/2021\/08\/80857ae1.jpg\" alt=\"What is Open-Source Software text over gray and blue background\" width=\"1600\" height=\"900\" data-credittext=\"Google\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\">Google<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Let\u2019s start by actually defining what open-source means relative to software.<\/p>\n<p>To put it briefly, this means the software\u2019s source code (which is the collection of code that makes up a piece of computer software) is public and can be modified, copied, or redistributed by anyone. This is opposed to proprietary software companies that produce closed-source software, which typically locks away the source code from users so it can\u2019t be modified. The vast majority of programs you use are probably closed source, as are major operating systems like Windows and macOS.<\/p>\n<p>Open-source code allows people who aren\u2019t the original developers of the software to make small tweaks to it, or even create completely new pieces of software based on it. Those tweaks and complete overhauls can then be freely distributed to other users without going through the original developers. While open-source software uses different licenses to dictate what can and can\u2019t be done with the source code, it mostly relates to not using open source software to create closed-source software (so it won\u2019t affect you as a user).<\/p>\n<p>While open-source software tends to be more niche compared to closed-source software, there are still some very popular examples you might have heard of. Some examples of open-source software includes the versatile photo editor <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gimp.org\/\">GIMP<\/a>, the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mozilla.org\/en-US\/firefox\/new\/\">Mozilla Firefox<\/a> web browser, and the highly customizable <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linux.org\/\">Linux<\/a> operating system. That\u2019s just a small sample of open-source software, but these are the best examples to show just how good open-source software can be. Open-source software can easily rival or best closed-source software made by massive corporations\u2014let\u2019s look at the reasons why.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Software_Freedom\"><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" name=\"autotoc_anchor_1\">Software Freedom<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<figure style=\"width: 1600px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-94494 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/p\/uploads\/2021\/08\/dfdf76d1.jpg\" alt=\"Software Freedom text over gray and blue background\" width=\"1600\" height=\"900\" data-credittext=\"Google\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\">Google<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>If you\u2019re not a developer, you might be wondering how this benefits you as a normal user. Well, the largest advantage open-source software typically brings is that it\u2019s free. While open-source developers can charge for software because it allows for free redistribution, there\u2019s pretty much always a way to find open-source tools for free. Open-source software typically doesn\u2019t have ads like normal pieces of free software as well, usually making money through donations instead (both from users and larger companies).<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFree software\u201d is a separate term though, and refers to any piece of software that doesn\u2019t charge, but there is a difference between free and open-source software. Because open-source software isn\u2019t just free in terms of price\u2014\u201cfree\u201d also refers to the freedom open-source software provides its users by being easily modifiable and more transparent. This extends to most open-source programs lacking any form of <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/403769\/what-happens-to-your-digital-property-when-a-company-goes-out-of-business\/\">Digital Rights Management<\/a> (DRM) as well, which is used by commercial software to combat piracy.<\/p>\n<p>DRM can cause performance issues if poorly implemented and usually requires an internet connection so it can routinely check with the company\u2019s web servers if the license is legitimate. The latter can be especially bad if the developers go under. Unless the developers remove DRM in an update, once their servers go offline you won\u2019t be able to use that software again even if you paid for it\u2014something that will never happen with open-source software.<\/p>\n<p>There is a general focus on ethics and morals within the open-source community with how developers treat their users. While it\u2019s not a guarantee, this can help to ensure you\u2019re getting the best experience possible without being taken advantage of for private data. And because the source code is public, it\u2019s pretty easy for knowledgeable users to find out if the developers are doing something shady. You can look at the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/opensource.org\/\">Open Source Initiative<\/a> for more information on this\u2014it\u2019s a great website that delves into the core principles of open-source software.<\/p>\n<p>Overall, open-source software is transparent, user-focused, and, as we\u2019re about to talk about, highly modifiable. And while some of that will vary depending on the development team, those attributes characterize the best of the best in this field.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Mods_and_Forks\"><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" name=\"autotoc_anchor_2\">Mods and Forks<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<figure style=\"width: 1600px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-94495 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/p\/uploads\/2021\/08\/76edb5b9.jpg\" alt=\"Mods and Forks text over gray and blue background\" width=\"1600\" height=\"900\" data-credittext=\"Google\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\">Google<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>As we\u2019ve already mentioned, open-source code allows users to freely modify a piece of software and redistribute their changes to other users. Many open-source projects operate through services like Github repositories, which makes sharing code extremely simple and allow for mass cooperation between many developers when creating the base software or modifications. These mods typically take the form of either plugins\/add-ons or forks.<\/p>\n<p>Plugins and add-ons are modifications of the program and can range from slight UI tweaks to totally new features. These still work through the original program version, and merely augment it in whatever way the developer of the plugin sees fit. How you install these vary per software, but these are a great way to customize an open-source program to your liking. Popular open-source tools will have loads of plugins created for them, so there\u2019s are a lot of options for you to mess around with.<\/p>\n<p>Forks, or \u201cdistributions,\u201d on the other hand, change things up more significantly. These are separate pieces of software built off of the source code of an open-source program with different UIs and heavily altered features. It can be a great way to find different versions of a program that fit you better, while still getting the basic functionality as the original software. Take an open-source platform like Linux, for example, which has many distributions that modify the way the OS works to add features or make it more welcoming to new users, such as <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ubuntu.com\/\">Ubuntu<\/a> and <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/nxos.org\/\">Nitrux<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Whether it\u2019s a plugin or a fork, both of these are fantastic ways to make an open-source program even better, and it\u2019s one of the greatest advantages open source has over closed source.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_Few_Downsides\"><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" name=\"autotoc_anchor_3\">A Few Downsides<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<figure style=\"width: 1600px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-94496 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/p\/uploads\/2021\/08\/c08edd9f.jpg\" alt=\"A Few Downsides text over gray and blue background\" width=\"1600\" height=\"900\" data-credittext=\"Google\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\">Google<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>We\u2019ve largely focused on the positives of open-source software so far because frankly, open source is largely a positive thing. But while there aren\u2019t many downsides to a program being open source for users, there are some things of which you should be aware.<\/p>\n<p>First off, open-source projects are often passion projects made by small development teams or individuals, which means that they can unexpectedly close at any moment. That\u2019s not something you need to worry about as much when it comes to more popular programs, but if you\u2019re using something smaller, the project discontinuing updates is always a possibility\u2014especially if the developers aren\u2019t making money in one way or another.<\/p>\n<p>Fortunately, the nature of open-source software allows a new development team to continue the project after discontinuation, so it\u2019s not as big a deal as when closed-source software stops receiving updates.<\/p>\n<p>Secondly, while open-source software usually has good intentions behind it, we have seen some examples of users being manipulated by developers and owners. The most recent and popular example you can point to is <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.audacityteam.org\/\">Audacity<\/a>\u2014a very popular open-source audio editor. It was bought from its original developers by a company, who then tried sneaking in some shady spyware stuff in an update. This scared a lot of people off from the program, causing the new owners to (somewhat) backtrack.<\/p>\n<p>Everything on the internet can be used maliciously and open-source software is unfortunately no different. While most teams and projects have their hearts in a good place, that doesn\u2019t mean you should lower your guard.<\/p>\n<p>Looking outside the realm of privacy, there isn\u2019t much more to talk about as far as negatives go with open-source software. However, one thing worth mentioning is who most open-source software is designed for\u2014power users. This means open-source software generally has a lot of advanced features and a UI to match. The bright side is this means many open-source tools can rival their closed-source competitors, but it can make it difficult to use if you\u2019re looking for something more beginner-friendly. But even then, that hardly accounts for all open-source software and is more of a common trend than anything else.<\/p>\n<p>Basically, open-source doesn\u2019t bring any inherent downsides besides the general dangers of downloading things from the internet. None of this should be enough to scare you off, but if you\u2019re going to explore this world you definitely need to know about it.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Should_You_Actually_Use_Open-Source_Software\"><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" name=\"autotoc_anchor_4\">Should You Actually Use Open-Source Software?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Ultimately, open-source software is a great way for users to receive high-end programs that are easily modifiable, transparent, and usually free (although, donating to the developers if you can is appreciated). There\u2019s no particular reason not to use open-source software, nor should you feel the need to only use open-source tools (unless that\u2019s your preference).<\/p>\n<p>Just like with other software, open-source software should be treated on a case-by-case basis\u2014some will be merely okay, some will be flat-out bad, but others will stomp the competition and establish themselves as one of the best options in their respective field. Along as the more advanced features and UI\u2019s these programs typically feature don\u2019t ward you off, open source is a great and always appreciated option in the world of software whether you\u2019re a developer or a user.\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script>\nsetTimeout(function(){\n  !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)\n  {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?\n  n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};\n  if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';\n  n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;\n  t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];\n  s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window, document,'script',\n  'https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/fbevents.js');\n  fbq('init', '1137093656460433');\n  fbq('track', 'PageView');\n  },3000);\n<\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Technology category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/94114\/why-should-you-use-open-source-software\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;#Why Should You Use Open-Source Software? \u2013 Review Geek&#8221; Google Open-source software is something you\u2019ve likely come across on the internet, commonly made by smaller development teams as free alternatives to popular programs. But this goes much further than price\u2014open-source programs offer a lot of other positives that make them worth using. What Is Open&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":326253,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.reviewgeek.com\/p\/uploads\/2021\/08\/e7e44edc.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-326252","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/326252","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=326252"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/326252\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/326253"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=326252"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=326252"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=326252"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}