Open Source? What's that?

Open source is a great alternative to what is called "Proprietary" Software. Examples of proprietary software in the web world would include things like Adobe's© Cold Fusion© , Microsoft's© ASP.NET©, and the slew of EllisLabs© options. So, what's open source, and why should you look for it? There are many reasons. I will cover a few.

1. Community: The community in the world of Open Source (O.S.) programming is bigger, usually friendlier, and much more willing to help than some of the other proprietary companies. Think of this: If you have had Microsoft© Windows7© for 2 years, and you want some sort of technical support, if it's not on the website, you'll have to pay for it when you call Microsoft. Open Source alternatives are not like that. There are several websites out there that provide information for you for free. It's a great alternative.
2. Adaptability: O.S. is a lot more adaptable than the other. To run PHP scripts and mySQL scripts on the internet, you can have either a Linux (O.S.) web server, or a Microsoft© (Proprietary) server. If you want to run asp or asp.net, you need to have a Microsoft© box.
3. Cost: Probably the most important to a lot of people, especially in today's economy, is the cost of O.S. options. It's free! Much better than having to pay for the other. So, you save cost right there. And since it's free, there are quite a few more programmers out there that know php than asp.

So, to recoup, O.S. is just a better option. S.F.W.D. programs solely in O.S. languages.

Adam J Campbell
Owner/Web Developer