Open+Source

__**Open Source**__
Open source turns software development into more of a community effort. Open source code not only allows peer review on something that you are creating but also allows others to create other plug-ins and applications that can work with your software. Wordpress, Mozilla and Audacity all use open source code.

To be considered as open source software by the software development industry, certain criteria must be met:
 * The program must be freely distributed (It can be part of a package that is sold though, such as Red Hat has done with [|Linux] .)
 * Source code must be included.
 * Anyone must be allowed to modify the source code.
 * Modified versions can be redistributed.
 * The license must not require the exclusion of other software or interfere with the operation of other software. 1

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__** Popular Open Source Programs **__

There are hundreds of open source programs available to the user today and more are being created all the time. These are just a few of the more popular programs:

**Audacity** is an open source audio production program. The software is available on most operating systems including Windows, Mac OS X and Linux. Audacity allows you to record, edit and save audio files. 2

**Firefox** is a popular web browser developed by Mozilla. The browser has been a popular alternative to Microsoft's Internet Explorer because of its ease of use, faster browsing speeds and the ability to customize it with various add-ons thanks to its open source code. 3

**Open Office** is an office software suite. It allows you to do word processing, create spreadsheets, presentations and other functions one might find in a suite like Microsoft Office; however, unlike Microsoft's suite, Open Office is free to the public because of open source. 4

**GIMPshop** is a modified version of another open source program GNU Image Manipulation Program (GIMP). It is a photo editing program that tries to emulate Adobe's Photoshop program closely enough that users of Adobe's software are comfortable using GIMP. 5

(1) [ "What does open source mean", howstuffworks.com, available from http://www.howstuffworks.com/question435.htm, accessed 4 December 2011.]

(2) [ "The free, Cross-platform sound editor", sourceforge.com, available from http://audacity.sourceforge.net/, accessed 4 December 2011.]

(3) [ "A Better Internet", mozilla.org, available from http://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/about/, accessed 4 December 2011.]

(4) [ "Why Openoffice.org", openoffice.org, available from http://why.openoffice.org/, accessed 4 December 2011.]

(5) [ "Gimpshop Open Source Software", gimpshop.com, available from http://gimpshop.com/, accessed 4 December 2011.]

(6) [Directrod, "What is Open Source?", YouTube.com, available from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QfXkxkybQ4Q, accessed 4 December 2011.]