Eleutheromania – A strong desire for freedom

Open Source spreading roots

What is OSS?

There are two ways to define this OSS or open source Software. One purely technical, well suited for all those developers cum lawyers cum historians. Other, in layman or hobbyist or KISS way, the way in which we Indians generally like it. I, being a patriotic Indian, like the second one. However, to prevent the people of first category from disappointment, I would give them a full blown definition and then leave the rest of work on open source initiative:

“Open source software (OSS) is defined as computer software for which the source code and certain other rights normally reserved for copyright holders are provided under a software license that meets the Open Source Definition or that is in the public domain. This permits users to use, change, and improve the software, and to redistribute it in modified or unmodified forms”

For further technical stuff about OSS  readers can check out the Open Source Definition (OSD), Open Source Initiative and its relationship (or confrontation) with the eldest of all :FOSS (Free and Open Source Software) or FLOSS (Free, Libre and Open Source Software ). For further research you can also check out Open Source resource in resources.

OSS- The lay man’s perspective

So now I shall describe to you all those jargon in KISS way. The software industry as we see today has been revolving around two kind of the personalities since the beginning: the Magicians (Proprietary Software Vendor) and the Gurus (Open Source Software pioneers). Former, as per the metaphor, awed the common public with magic shows (read proprietary software) using their secret tricks (read closed source code) and thus earned money from them. To most of their customers the software appeared to arrive out of thin air. And like any magic show they had to take it granted and clap. Some times the tricks even failed utterly (BSOD). Prominent e.g. of such magicians are Windows.

On the other hand were the Gurus: die hard computer hobbyists, hackers, students who not only provided break through in the field of computer science but also led others by simply passing the batons i.e. allowing them to access, use and modify their source codes to make them better. These were the people who created net, designed OS s, and many other software which revolutionized the whole computer industry.

Some well known proprietary software  are Microsoft Windows (all versions), Adobe Photoshop, Microsoft Office, Nero etc. Their counterparts in OSS world are GNU\Linux, Gimp, Open Office, Brasero Disc Burner and lots more. I shall cover many Open Source alternatives in other pages and also how to use them.

India and OSS

Indians are well known for their coding skills. Even Open Source industry boast many Indian pioneers. However, still people are ignorant about this facet of software industry mainly due to early domination of Microsoft and rampant piracy. Its this gray area where this site is aimed at. It will act as a guiding resource to Open Source world in various ways. For non-programmers it will acts as wizard to switch over to Open Source alternatives. For the programming enthusiasts and students of various software courses it will act as hands-on guide to hone their programming skills, create their own open source projects and host them to the world. And for those who simply visited to know my views and daily disasters can visit my blog.
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