What is the reason behind the success of Open Source - Essay Example

?The success of open source can be attributed to a number of factors as illustrated below: Adaptation community For software to become popular there is need to have a large pool of users. Many users ensure that the software penetrates communities at a higher momentum which in turn creates a snowball effect. Open source software needs also to be compatible with the end users’ needs. It is important to note that consumers of software products need to be protected to a certain degree by developers. However, this liability is not that tight in open source programs. An example is Linux which comes with no warranty or liability clauses and consumers are forced at times to stay with their problems. This reduced obligation by the corporate in respect to functionality or failures of the system makes many engage in open source development. Again in the corporate scenario there are time limits within which problems need to be fixed in case of failures. Open source developers usually save on cost in this respect by having another party make changes or offer support at a small fee. An example of this arrangement is Linux and Red Hut. Licensing of open source receives relaxed regulations for example from Free Software Foundation. These regulations make it possible to integrate technical support from a pool of experts. Therefore, for an open source to be adopted by many, programmers are supposed to integrate their resources in bridging the gap of consumer needs. Source Management There is a great deal of difference when an individual develops software and when a pool of programmers develops the same. One person is highly likely to overlook many aspects that are necessary in making the software compatible with the needs of the end user. It is however a challenge to have many developers scattered all over the world doing parallel jobs but it is even worse when there are many development streams involved. This is the case with Linux where the support team is required to deal with various end user preferences all at the same time. In software development and fixing of bugs one change can lead to changes in many other segments of the system. This problem has however been simplified in the last decade or so owing to the availability of high speed internet connectivity at low cost for example the AOL (Rehman & Carleton University, 2006). This makes testing of changes faster and efficient. In overall, the free or low cost connection coupled with high speeds provide for the execution of real time changes. This in turn promotes usage and access for many people; both end users and programmers from around the world. Development Environment In developing open source three things are necessary; network, software and the hardware. It is a fact that more people today are able to access internet at the comfort of their homes than it was the case a decade ago. It is however important to note that programmers mostly require high speeds to do their job efficiently. Cable internet in many countries and expanded bandwidth per user, especially at home have hugely increased the number of developers. These two factors act as motivators for programmers to take their time to develop software. The hardware on the other hand has changed over the years. Pentium III has been replaced by Pentium IV and now Duo Core machines are in the market. The hardware efficiency and capability to handle huge tasks are other factors to consider. Developers not only require high internet speeds but also high speed machines. There are pieces of software that are more complex than others therefore requiring high speed machines with big hard drive; all of which are possible nowadays. These current capabilities are in line with the increasing sophistication in integrating software development. However, Eclipse IDE is an example of a facilitator which enables programmers to use various operating systems (Rehman & Carleton University, 2006). Through this technology developers are able to scan libraries for materials with increased flexibility and ease. Such software also enables developers to share knowledge easily and faster. This has also facilitated the portability aspect of software development. Requirement Formalization Requirements of open source are supposed to be clear, reusable and well formulated. This is therefore the core of software development. Open source has also been successful owing to the fact that many firms require stress free software to develop. Open source has no intellectual property thereby a firm is free to customize it to suit its needs. Open Source also offers unique functions mostly at little or no cost. Therefore, lack of compression algorithm and command line editing in open source facilitates its adoption by many people and firms. In developing open source, what is mostly put under consideration by developers is the fact that it will be used together with many other applications. Open source cannot have many specifications for it to have the reusability touch and as such it should be as basic as possible to enable customization. The beauty of open source is the fact that an individual is able to continuously recycle its requirements. Time Constrain Looking into Linux for example, many people have complained that their complaints are addressed too slowly. The lack of real-time support and feedback to consumers is in one way an advantage which has enabled open source to spread that fast. However, systems for example those that are kernel related e.g. kernel modification are used to deal with real-time feedback or solutions in respect to Linux. Solutions to problems are mostly addressed in their order of popularity although requirements are continuously refined to suit changing trends and end user preferences. The open source community therefore is in a unique field where time constraints are not a problem in various development processes unlike in others where this can lead to total collapse. Source of Income As much as open source is free, some programmers earn from it. Highly skilled and able programmers find it easier to enter into the pool of paid developers. Some companies hire them to develop an open source mainly with the purpose of customizing it to suit various purposes (Rehman & Carleton University, 2006). However, many well skilled programmers develop open source not for the sake of money but because of the passion they have for programming. Language Freedom Open source comprises of a language that is flexible enough to allow for modification. Programmers therefore have the freedom to change it as they experiment with it. Programmers also pass the word in respect to how good a certain language is and how much freedom it is offering. As such, word goes round enabling many programmers to try it out. With many programmers using the language and developing it, chances of it becoming better and widely used are quite high. A good open source therefore is one that offers programmers little or no restrictions of developing it into a better program or language. Value Addition and Appreciation For programmers who are new and semi-skilled, open source offers them a platform where they can add their value to the current code. They are able to fulfill their desires and in case they are in the corporate sector, they are likely to be promoted or better recognized for their contributions in developing suiting programs. These inexperienced programmers are able to learn with time how to better an open source to suit their needs and help others in the process. Reference Rehman, R. U. & Carleton University (Canada). (2006). Factors that contribute to open source software project success. Carleton University (Canada). Read More