My Thoughts on Open Source

When I hear the term of “open source”, I think of software that has its source code widely available and free to use for anyone who wants to. I also tend to think of large collaborative projects and projects that deviate or add a twist to the source. Some advantages to open source is the development of new ideas and assistance with code writing. Many big projects would not exist today if it were not for passionate people who helped out in these open source projects.

Although open source is great for development, closed source can be beneficial for projects that want to be more focused or that want to avoid code or idea theft. It is very easy for someone to see a unique idea or efficient code and claim it as their own, leaving the original developers without the credit they deserve. Plagiarism/lack of sufficient credit can be a huge problem with open source if not addressed correctly. Code inconsistency can also be an issue since multiple developers with varying levels of skill would be contributing to one project, and some issues may go unaccounted for.

I registered for a class about open source software development because open source software is extremely important to the development of newer and better ideas, and I want to be more knowledgeable in this field to contribute on my own.

Here are some open source projects that I have used/influenced me:

Blender

Blender is a 3D computer graphics software that allows you to create models, animations, etc. I use Blender occasionally as I am learning 3D modeling and will most likely start to use it more often as I become more experienced.

LMMS

LMMS is a Digital Audio Workstation(DAW) that allows you to make music and was originally designed for Linux, but is available on other platforms now. I use it quite frequently to make my own music, and was the reason why I got started.

Android (OS)

Android is a mobile operating system made by Google. Since my phone is a Samsung, I’m always using the Android operating system. I like it alot since it allows you to make any tweaks to the UI or most features if you want to.

Python

Python is a programming language that is very useful. I have used multiple times during my academic career and even a bit in my personal life to automate small things in the past.