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---
title: Free and Open Source Software
date: 2023-01-09
---
Consider the purpose of the software you use and the values guiding the project.
What is the founder’s mission? Who do they put first, the user or the company?
Sadly, it is usually the company. Profit drives companies and can come at the
cost of users. The company sells user data, deplatforms users, and uses vendor
lock-in. Advertisements become abundant, and paywalls hide features. But free
and open source software (FOSS) offers user freedom, community ownership, and
interoperability.
FOSS is available for anyone to use, modify, and distribute. Users are not
restricted by licensing fees or other limitations that can come with proprietary
software. This freedom allows users to customize and tailor the software to
their specific needs and ensures they have control over their technology rather
than the company that created it. If you notice a bug or want a new feature,
write and send your own patch. Even if you do not know the language or library,
you can read the documentation, speak with the community, and learn. Users are
not at the whims of the creators and where they want to take the project which
may not align with users' interests.
Open source projects have high accountability and trust because the code and who
wrote it are public information. Community ownership is a fundamental
distinction between proprietary and open source software. Community-driven
development means the software is inherently more ethical since it is not
written behind closed doors. FOSS is often more reliable and secure than
proprietary software, as it benefits from the collective knowledge and expertise
of its users.
Open source unlocks interoperability so programmers can make their software
compatible with other software and hardware. They can look at the source code
and understand how the program works rather than just what it does.
Interoperability also lowers switching costs for users who want to move to a
different program. Companies want to keep switching costs high and prevent users
from leaving their product or service. They expand into other domains to
increase the cost of transitioning.
How can you help?
- Encourage people to use free software
- Encourage schools and businesses to use free software
- Write and share free software and its ideas
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