The open source has opened up infinite possibilities
Posted on October 23, 2015Open source means public can access the original code or information and are also able to modify its data. After open source began receiving attention, many people were confused its exact definition. To control this situation, The Open Source Initiative announced ‘The Open Source Definition.’ This definition consists of 10 rules, and based on these they grant an ‘OSI certification mark.’
- Free Redistribution
- Source Code
- Derived Works
- Integrity of The Author’s Source Code
- No Discrimination Against Persons or Groups
- No Discrimination Against Fields of Endeavor
- Distribution of License,
- License Must Not Be Specific to a Product
- License Must Not Restrict Other Software
- License Must Be Technology-Neutral[i]
Under these rules, Open Source is growing fast and is applied in various fields. One of open source’s strengths is, if a specific open source gains in popularity, it can be standardized. For example, Linux is considered one of the most successful open sources. Android is the best example, which is built upon the Linux. In 2011, Android took the lead in smartphone OS market in the face of fierce competition. Based on the open source, a lot of developers and users were able to participate to develop and modify those sources. Eventually, they won more popularity and now, it is a major smartphone OS. According to the International Data Corporation (IDC), Android has an 82.8% smartphone OS market share now.[ii] This is open source’s power.
Secondly, open source facilitates developing remarkable software at the fastest pace and having high stability. If we ‘open’ sources, we can receive help from other professional developers or users to find and compensate problems. It makes us save a lot of time and money. Also, if you were an original developer and your source was improved like that, it might be more widely adopted and you could get more profit. Even not only for the original developer, it also benefits other developers who participated in developing. They can benchmark a successful case and narrow the gap little by little with major companies and have many more opportunities.
One other good example is GPS. In the TED lecture, “Where Good Ideas Come From.” [iii] The PhD students found some interesting information while they studying. They shared their sources, and finally it became a GPS. The speaker said we should spend time to connect different ideas and create more beneficial things than just protect their own ideas and sources.
Some believe opening sources is a disadvantage in the short term, because they could not monopolize a market or sell their technology at a higher price. In the long term, however, it is never lost. It brings new outcomes to you or the world, which you never would have imagined.
As I said at first, Open Source in software is already having a large impact on our life and it will act as a big variable in the future. However, if people ‘open’ sources not only in software but also in various areas, such as medicine, I believe Open Source has potential to change our society and even the world.
[i] “The Open Source Definition (Annotated).” Open Source Initiative. Accessed October 14, 2015
[ii] “IDC: Smartphone OS Market Share.” Www.idc.com. Accessed October 14, 2015.
[iii] “Where Good Ideas Come From.” Ted Talks. July 1, 2010. Accessed October 16, 2015