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10 Things You Should Know About Open Source

Just a few of the myths about about open source are that it is a secret society, you have to be a coder to use it and it's not Windows-friendly

1. Check the Label
   "Open source" is frequently used as a generic marketing term, but the phrase has a very specific meaning. Generally speaking, if a project you're evaluating doesn't allow you to access the code, create derivative works and redistribute those works, then it isn't open source.
   
   

2. Not Just for Coders
   Open-source contribution isn't just for coders. Using the software, offering feedback and bug reports, tweaking documentation, making translations and helping others on forums or on IRC are all important forms of contribution, and ways that you can make the software you use better.
   
   
3. Forks Feed Open Source
   The diversity (and yes, redundancy) of open-source projects can be rather confusing, but the freedom that users enjoy to take the software in new directions—whether those new directions end up leading back to the original project, to a new, independent project, or straight into the ground—is a big part of what drives open source.
   
   
4. You Can Ignore the Source
   There are some interesting things you can do by fetching, patching and compiling source code for yourself; all of this is completely optional. If none of this appeals to you, you can consume open-source software in 100 percent binary form, all packaged and tested by commercial concerns that will accept your dollars—and your complaints.
   
   
5. GPL Is Not a Social(ist) Disease
   While open source in general, and the GPL license, in particular, is characterized as a virus that's somehow out to dissolve all property ownership, the truth is far less exotic. People who choose the GPL do so because it works for them. If you want to build on their code, you must abide by the license terms.
   
   
6. Open Source Is No Secret Society
   It's entertaining to imagine the open-source software community as a phalanx of Simpsons Comic Book Guys poised to rain snarky l33tspeak upon any newcomer who asks the wrong question or asks it in the wrong way, but generally speaking, open-source adherents are no more polite or rude than any other population.
   
   
7. Open Source Is Windows-Friendly
   Open source plays well with Windows. Firefox is an obvious example of a happy marriage between open-source software and Windows, but the popular free Web browser is far from the only open-source application to run on Windows. Most of Linux's most popular open-source applications run quite well on Windows.
   
   
8. Releasing the Code Isn't Enough
   You can't chuck your source code out onto an FTP server and expect an ecosystem of contributors to spring up overnight. Successful open-source projects require a solid framework for communication, a public interface for tracking bugs and clear paths for making contributions.
   
   
9. Watch Out for Orphans
   Open-source software repositories such as sourceforge.net are brimming with promising-looking open-source projects—many of which are no longer actively developed. Check the mailing list archives and source commit logs to gauge its vitality. An old project might no longer be compatible with current systems.
   
   
10. Dog the Bounty Hunters
    If you come across an orphaned open-source project, or an actively developed project that's lacking particular features you desire, you may be able to issue a bounty, and pay to have that feature coded for you. Google's Summer of Code project is a good model for open-source bounty hunting, and some projects maintain their own bounty program.
    
    

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