Open source software development is a transparent process that allows users to offer input and suggestions. The resulting software is often better and more flexible than proprietary software. It is also free, reducing the cost of competing proprietary software.
Open source software development is a specific software development process that colleagues can openly review. The stages of the development process are both accessible and completely transparent. This allows users to offer input and suggestions on software development through communication or actual software modification.
Both users and software developers benefit from the open source software development process. Users are welcome to influence the development process and developers are encouraged to make changes to the software based on their input, so the likelihood is high that the product will be developed to meet users’ specifications and needs. The process that leads to proprietary software couldn’t be more different than developing open source software. The proprietary software development process is usually very secretive, and often only the employees working directly on the project are aware of the process. In contrast, open source software development makes the stages of a software’s development public, and public input on the software at each stage is considered vital to the quality of the product.
An open software development process can be an incredible educational tool for software developers. The necessary participation of users and developers makes intimate knowledge of the systems and how the software works a welcome consequence. Familiarity with the software can also make frequent changes, updates and improvements for users who use the software. Such a collaboration ensures that users are always presented with a version of the software that reflects their personal needs, wishes and inputs. With proprietary software, users are often stuck with the version of software that the company decides to produce.
The development process of open source software differs significantly from that of its proprietary counterparts, but the resulting software is comparable. Some consider it better not only in terms of effective application, but also in terms of flexibility and reliability. Open source applications and the data that is created from them usually better reflect the wishes of real users. MySQL and PHP are the result of open source software development.
Another benefit of open source software development is that the public can use and modify the software for free. Anyone, including passionate developers and curious users, can view the source code of open source software and edit projects. They can also distribute the software without paying any fees or costs associated with licensing. Open source software is free, so using products that are a result of the open source software development process can actually have the effect of reducing the cost of competing proprietary software.
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