Topic – open source softwares

submitted by – Susheel Chourasiya

Dipanjan Munshi

Documentation Research and Training Centre

Indian Statistical Institute Bengalore centre

560059

● Introduction● Open source software ● Categories of software ● Advantages of OSS● Disadvantages of OSS● Conclusion ● References

Introduction

● Due to development in the computer technologies now possible to provide various library services to user through web.

● Various software are available to provide web based services.

● These softwares are either commercial or open source.

Open source software

Open source software are available free under open source licence terms and conditions where source code of the software is available free to the user for any developments , redistribution , customization.

● Free – free of cost , some applications do carry licensing fees.

● Source code – is originally written by a human in plain text.

Categories of software

● Integrated Library management software – Koha ● Citation management tool – Zotero ● Content management system software – Drupal ● Digital repository software – Dspace

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

ADVANTAGES

1) It's generally free – it has been estimated that OSS collectively saves business of $60 billion a year.

2) It's constantly evolving in real time. Developeradd to it and modify it, which means it can be better quality and more secure and lessprone to viruses.

ADVANTAGES[cont.]

3) Using OSS means, a user is not bound to use a particular vendor's system that only work with thier other system.

4) One can modify and adopt OSS according to

requirements.

DISADVANTAGES

1) Not being a commercial product, OSS act tend to evolve more in line with developers wish

than the needs of the users.

2) For the same reason, they canbe less ''user friendly'' and not as easy to use because less attention is paid in developing the user interface.

DISADVANTAGES[cont.]

3) Although having an open system means that there are many people identifying viruses andfixing them, it also means that malicious users can potentially view it and exploit vulnerabilities.

CONCLUSION

The utilization of computer and web technology has given rise to many innovations in the worldcommunity.

Open source is one of these innovations.

Ever evolving nature of the OSS has given it adaptive flexibility, which is the most importantfactor for its future.

REFERENCES

● Coleman, E. Gabriella. Coding Freedom: The Ethics and Aesthetics of Hacking (Princeton UP, 2012)

● Fadi P. Deek; James A. M. McHugh (2008). Open Source: Technology and Policy. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-511-36775-5.

● Chris DiBona and Sam Ockman and Mark Stone, ed. (1999). Open Sources: Voices from the Open Source Revolution. O'Reilly. ISBN 1-56592-582-3.

● Joshua Gay, ed. (2002). Free Software, Free Society: Selected Essays of Richard M. Stallman (PDF). Boston: GNU Press, Free Software Foundation. ISBN 1-882114-98-1.

● Understanding FOSS● Benkler, Yochai (2002), "Coase's Penguin, or, Linux and The Nature of the Firm." Yale

Law Journal 112.3 (Dec 2002): p367(78) (in Adobe pdf format)● v. Engelhardt, Sebastian (2008). "The Economic Properties of Software", Jena

Economic Research Papers, Volume 2 (2008), Number 2008-045 (PDF).