The term “open source” makes me think about words like transparency, community, and collaboration. It’s the representation of shared and innovative knowledge. Regarding the advantages of open versus closed source, open source code transparency firstly allows better bug fixes and provides a public place for developers to learn collectively. This community-driven feature thus further strengthens the system, making it more robust or innovative. However, potential problems with open source might be the lack of full-time support development; projects are largely dependent on stable and centralized support from the community, which is not easy to maintain.

I decided to register for this class because it sounds interesting. I think it would be the perfect opportunity to gain hands-on experience by studying real-world applications and making an actual contribution.

Four influential open-source projects for me are Blender, OBS Studio, VS Code, and Python.

• Blender - A good starting point for learning 3D creation. Since I minor in game design, I think skills like modeling and rendering are essential for me to practice (and because Blender is free!) So I chose Blender.
• OBS Studio - I frequently used OBS Studio (Open Broadcaster Software) during COVID-19, when we attended classes remotely. I used anime characters for camera sharing when I didn’t want to share my tired face (my teacher allowed it, of course).
• VS Code - It is most CS students’ everyday life, and sometimes I use IntelliJ. Its extension design enables it to work in almost any development environment.
• Python - Last but not least, Python is another great example of an open-source project with its package management system. And we can experience it with daily practice.