Perhaps you, like so many other computer users, spend a good deal of time using commercial software products. Even if you're a diehard Microsoft or Apple user, it's entirely possible that you also use some open source products. If you've ever used Firefox, then you have already crossed over to the other side. If you're tempted to buy a smartphone running the Android operating system -- well, that's open source, too. It seems that everywhere you look, open source is encroaching upon what was once the domain of proprietary software. So what's all the fuss about open source software, and is it something you can use?
The term "open source" refers to a software licensing model and philosophy of access and distribution. Software products that are distributed as open source are generally free, and users can access and modify the source code. In contrast, the source code of most commercial software is proprietary and often copy protected. Then of course, in between these two extremes are many licensing variations in shades of gray.
GNU General Public License
The most widely accepted framework for the distribution of open source software is the GNU General Public License, which provides a free, "copyleft" license for software and other kinds of work. Here's how it works: The original copyright holder of the work licenses it to be used and modified by others. Such a "copyleft" license requires that the distributed work remain free, and that all modified versions remain free, as well. Of course, this "pay it forward" chain can be broken at any time, because developers are also free to modify the code, lock it down, and then redistribute it under a commercial license, if they like. At that point, it stops being open source.
Popular Examples
Perhaps the best known example of open source software is the Linux operating system, which is the open source equivalent of Unix. It's not surprising that many of the popular open source content management systems, social networks, and ecommerce systems run on Linux servers, including WordPress, Drupal, Joomla!, Magento, OsCommerce, and a long list of others.
An International Community
The open source movement of today is an international phenomenon with a vibrant community of software developers and entrepreneurs who are riding a groundswell of creativity and opportunity. Which might lead you to wonder if there's any money to be made in open source software -- given that they're giving it all away. Well, the short answer is yes -- well, sort of. It all depends. (This must be why many companies combine open source offerings with others of a more commercial nature.)
What does all this mean for you? If you were to decide right now to give it a go, what should you expect? First of all, you'll find that it's not uncommon for open source software to be downloaded from a "dot org" site rather than from a "dot com" site, and to be referred to as a "project" rather than a "product." The kind of support you receive may come from a volunteer community of experienced users, rather than from a paid technical support staff. You may have to figure out your own hosting issues, although many hosting companies support a wide range of popular open source software.
So if all this sounds good to you, then by all means, you should jump in right now, because open source software has come of age!
You can start right here: List of Open Source Ecommerce Software