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Free Software |
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Free SoftwareFree Software is software that allows the owner the freedom to use the software, and alter the software in anyway he / she desires. Thus it is more akin to freedom of speech, rather than free as in zero cost (in fact, free software licenses can allow for the sale of free software under certain conditions). Free software development has evolved from the early hacker culture, where all software was free software. Free software is distributed with its source code. Access to this source code allows developers to improve and adapt the code for the individual use. Developers that do modify the code may be required (via the software's license) to submit any modifications back to the initiators of the project (submitting a patch). This allows any improvements, or resolved bugs, to be included in new releases of the product. Free Software can include a license, explaining the rights of the developer and the usability for the owner of the copy. The GNU GPL license, designed by Richard Stallman and the FSF, has been very successful in developing a movement for the greater availability of free software. This free software is part of Richard Stallman's GNU project (Gnu's Not Unix). In 1997 the term open source was developed with the thought of using this term to replace free software, as the free implied no cost, therefore not good work. Since this time, there has been a split in the free software movement camps, with the open source group (evangelized by Eric Raymond) promoting the business advantages of free software, and the free software camp promoting the ideological aspects of free software. The ideological aspects are that all software should be freely available, so developers can expand on each others work in order to continue the development process. Once code has been taken private, that innovation is lost to the public. Since that code will include previous "open" work (as would any work that has evolved from other work) it should also remain open. The freedom ideology works best if all software code is open, and does not tolerate free software and proprietary software as existing together. Once some code goes proprietary, the advantages of freedom are diluted, as free software development is now excluded from some development initiatives. Of all the successes of the free software / open source movement, one can look at the GNU/Linux development.Similar MatchesTax softwareTax softwareComputer software designed to assist taxpayers in filling out tax returns and minimizing tax liability. Investment softwareInvestment softwareComputer software that helps investors make investment decisions by identifying situations that meet programmed parameters. |
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