260 Reading Assignment: Open Source Software
Guidance on Implementing UK Government policy on Open Source Software / Office of Government Commerce, UK
Office of the Government Commerce, UK. (2002). Guidance on Implementing UK Government policy on Open Source Software. Retrieved from http://www.ogc.gov.uk/documents/Open_Source_Software.pdf, accessed on 17 September 2011.
Abstract:
The article presented the policy drafted by the government of United Kingdom, particular the Office of the Government Commerce, on how they can take advantage of the Open Source Software (OSS). Open Source Software (OSS) is software where the source code is freely distributed with the right to modify the code, and on the condition that redistribution is not restricted, and indeed is obtainable for no more than the reasonable cost of reproduction.
Office of the Government Commerce, UK. (2002). Guidance on Implementing UK Government policy on Open Source Software. Retrieved from http://www.ogc.gov.uk/documents/Open_Source_Software.pdf, accessed on 17 September 2011.
Abstract:
The article presented the policy drafted by the government of United Kingdom, particular the Office of the Government Commerce, on how they can take advantage of the Open Source Software (OSS). Open Source Software (OSS) is software where the source code is freely distributed with the right to modify the code, and on the condition that redistribution is not restricted, and indeed is obtainable for no more than the reasonable cost of reproduction.
The key driver of the policy is that government is explicitly declaring its support for a level playing field between OSS and proprietary software procurement within government by acknowledging the competitive viability of OSS solutions.
Three Things I Learned from the Article:
1. OSS is distributed under one of the main public licences such as the GNU General Public License, the Apache Software License or the Berkeley License. OSS is still copyrighted but the user of the software has the right to read, modify and redistribute the code in either source or compiled form, and is passed on to subsequent users following the license from the source.
Application / Implication of what I've learned to my work/to me as a person:
A number of Open Source Software is widely available for download on the web. The article above clarified the difference between freeware application and open source software. Freewares are free of charge software, the word free pertains to the cost of the application, whereas for Open Source Software, free doesn't mean free of cost. It is free for access and the codes are freely available. OSS may entail cost but in a very reasonable price.
Some OSS application that most of us are using are the Linux OS, Apache web-server, MySQL database, PERL and PHP scripting language, OpenOffice Suite, Thunderbird email client, audacity audio tool, songbird media player, GIMP image editor, VLC video player and many more.
With a huge number of OSS, user can have the flexibility of choosing the best OSS for his/her use and modify the software for his/her personal use, and he/she has the right to redistribute the modified software following the existing open license from the source.
Three Things I Learned from the Article:
1. OSS is distributed under one of the main public licences such as the GNU General Public License, the Apache Software License or the Berkeley License. OSS is still copyrighted but the user of the software has the right to read, modify and redistribute the code in either source or compiled form, and is passed on to subsequent users following the license from the source.
2. The benefits of OSS such as support for interoperability, supplier dependent, lower licensing costs, portable to large range of platforms, patches and updates are produced rapidly, avoidance of proprietary lock-in.
3. For the drawbacks of OSS, the policy lists down the following: uncertainty as to what exactly it is constituted, technical support can be fragmented, misunderstanding of the licensing and IPR, difficulties in identifying appropriate OSS application for particular business problems, documentation can be non-existence, lack of real world experience and support for migration from closed proprietary software to OSS, and OSS often lags behind proprietary software in support for new hardware.
Application / Implication of what I've learned to my work/to me as a person:
A number of Open Source Software is widely available for download on the web. The article above clarified the difference between freeware application and open source software. Freewares are free of charge software, the word free pertains to the cost of the application, whereas for Open Source Software, free doesn't mean free of cost. It is free for access and the codes are freely available. OSS may entail cost but in a very reasonable price.
Some OSS application that most of us are using are the Linux OS, Apache web-server, MySQL database, PERL and PHP scripting language, OpenOffice Suite, Thunderbird email client, audacity audio tool, songbird media player, GIMP image editor, VLC video player and many more.
With a huge number of OSS, user can have the flexibility of choosing the best OSS for his/her use and modify the software for his/her personal use, and he/she has the right to redistribute the modified software following the existing open license from the source.
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