Issue date: 6/23/08 Section: News

Obviously we're not all inclined to roll up our sleeves and wrestle with daunting computer code. The key message is that the Open Source landscape doesn't expect to hide anything from the user. If you want to find out exactly what a program is doing on your computer, it's a simple matter of looking at the code (or searching online for someone else who had the patience). If you don't like the way an internet browser renders your computer into a lame duck then you switch to one that works. If you have a brilliant idea then you can build on the foundation work of others, instead of being forced to abandon your idea to paper. It's all laid bare, constantly changing and becoming streamlined.

The picture painted here is obviously a bit rosy. The adoption of Open Source software into everyday life is a nuanced and contentious issue but it's an issue that must be brought up. Particularly problematic issues lie in standardization, commercial viability and security. Providing anyone with the ability to see and edit your program necessarily leads to issues of cross-compatibility, being able to sell your software and being able to provide security to your consumers. But the benefits of open source, especially for a steadily more computer knowledgeable generation, far outweigh the growing pains as well as the nuisance of being at the mercy of Big Software.

Open Source represents the next step in the digital world toward more information freedom and openness. It's in our best interests, as consumers, to take a vested interest in how we work and also how we play. Many see Open Source as the stuff of pipedreams but the latest movements by governments, businesses and even our own university (tamu email uses Zimbra, an open source email server) show the shifting tide. The longevity and successes of Linux and OpenOffice demonstrate the Open Source paradigm's position as a viable and prominent alternative to the old way and it's time we embrace it.

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