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Open source development is a transparent and accessible software development process that encourages user participation and feedback. It can lead to high-quality, flexible, and reliable products that cost less than proprietary software. Examples include MySQL and PHP.
Open source development is a specific type of software development process. In this process, colleagues openly review the stages of developing a piece of software. This type of software development is transparent and accessible, so users can contribute, either through suggestions or through personal modifications.
The benefits of the open source development process cannot be understated. Many users and developers are able to influence the outcome of a product, so the potential to churn out a high-quality product is high. This is very different from proprietary projects, which typically remain locked down during the development process, with the process known only to employees of the originating company. Proprietary projects often don’t receive feedback from the general public until after they’ve been released to market, but the open source development process encourages feedback at many stages of development so that the best quality product is achieved.
The open source development process can be a valuable learning tool for those who want to learn how to develop software. Open source development depends on user participation, so users are encouraged to take pieces of software and essentially make them their own through modifications and updates. The collaboration of different users ensures a kind of virtual system of checks and balances in which a product is developed as a result of the wants, needs and inputs of the end users, as opposed to the profits of a proprietary company.
This process can lead to an open source product comparable or better than proprietary software, not only in application but also in flexibility and reliability. Both the applications themselves and the data they produce have a better chance of being what end users really want. MySQL and PHP are examples of applications that are the result of the open source development process.
As a bonus, the open source development process and resulting products often cost less than their proprietary counterparts. In fact, open source projects are considered free for public use and modification. This means that users and developers can view the source code of projects, modify projects as they see fit, and distribute them to other sources without having to pay for licenses. Instead, it could be argued that the public actually profits from using open source products, because using them can create competition for proprietary software companies, which can then lead to lower prices for proprietary software.
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