What’s So Great About Open Source Software… and What Really Isn’t
Open source software is getting hotter these days. From web browsers to more advanced office suites, users are falling in love with applications that are constantly under development. By their very nature, open source software packages – which get their name from the fact that anyone can access the underlying code – encourage new features, custom add-ins, and other specialty innovations.
In fact, if you haven’t had the joy of using an open-source software platform, check out something like Mozilla’s Firefox, OpenOffice or even WordPress. Any of these will give you a taste for the variety of ideas and plug-ins that seem to constantly be coming down the pipeline.
At the same time, however, remember what open source is and that it isn’t perfect. It isn’t just hard working men and women who want to make life easier for the rest of us who have access to the code – hackers and scammers can find it just as easily. That means you have to be a little more careful in deciding what to use and add-on to your software, since not everyone is writing applications that are going to make your day.
Since a lot of open source packages revolve around the web, they can be very helpful tools for small business owners and online marketers. Treat them like you would anything else you can get over the web, though, and do your homework. Not everything on the Internet is as great as it first seems.
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