PHP: Can open source be a double edged sword - Essay Example

One should take first the premise that PHP as open-source software is free of licensing cost, but at the same time no vendor providing support for it. This means that at the good side, one can have PHP as affordable for all because of free licensing cost. However, other server-side languages have substantial support coming from the vendor, which means a more reliable support-system and strong mechanics for control and security concerns for each of them. The ultimate question now is whether PHP as open source can be a double-edged sword.

Considering that the PHP has potential advantages because of its free licensing cost, this also does not mean that it is also free from potential disadvantages upon its usage. The point that there might be no vendor to support PHP could mean substantial issue relevant to the issue of control and security purposes. PHP has long been known as important technology for building database-driven, dynamic Web sites (Quigley and Gargenta, 2006, p.9). It is even easier to use and this convenience substantially offsets any of the disadvantages (Lavin, 2006, p.113). Considering the above points, one will therefore consider PHP as a remarkable advantage.

This advantage however, is open to all because of its characteristic as an open source. For this reason, one might consider it as for public consumption, and since safety is remarkably an ideal consideration in situation like this, PHP can therefore either provide harm or good, at some point or at certain level. It is therefore quite important to consider if the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. For as long as there is always a consideration like this, PHP can remarkably be considered as a double-edged sword at some point.

ReferencesLavin, P. (2006) Object-Oriented PHP: Concepts, Techniques and Code. San Francisco, CA: No Starch Press. Quigley, E., and Gargenta, M. (2006) PHP and MySQL by Example. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall Professional.