The First Steps…

“Open source describes the principles and methodologies to promote open access to the production and design process for various goods, products, resources and technical conclusions or advice. The term is most commonly applied to the source code of software that is made available to the general public with either relaxed or non-existent intellectual property restrictions. This allows users to create user-generated software content through either incremental individual effort, or collaboration.” - Wikipedia

To make the explanation clear, let us take an example: suppose there is a company ‘Centaur Music’. It creates cutting edge sound cards. Now, a global leader in the music industry, ‘Globo Musicals’ has started a new venture. They want to enter the lucrative DVD-player market. So, they enter into an agreement where Centaur will provide them the sound cards which they will use in their DVD-players. So this is how OEM companies function. Oh well, that was Wikipedia defining open source in its own way, now it is our turn. This site of ours is an effort to make people better understand, comprehend and know open source as well as they know their closest people.


This site aims mainly at defining a perspective towards Open Source and its existence in the software world trying to bring in an appreciative opinion towards an effort to unify, enhance and make the software market more productive. This effort or movement is what some of the highest minds on the planet would like to call as the Open Source Movement… (Trademark Attached)

“Free software is a matter of liberty, not price. To understand the concept, you should think of “free” as in “free speech”, not as in “free beer”

” Free software is a matter of the users' freedom to run, copy, distribute, study, change and improve the software. More precisely, it refers to four kinds of freedom, for the users of the software:
FREEDOM I:The freedom to run the program, for any purpose.
FREEDOM II:The freedom to study how the program works, and adapt it to your needs. Access to the source code is a precondition for this.
FREEDOM III:The freedom to redistribute copies so you can help your neighbor.
FREEDOM IV:The freedom to improve the program, and release your improvements to the public, so that the whole community benefits. Access to the source code is a precondition for this.
-www.gnu.org

How does ‘Open Source’ affect you?

One is certainly bound to feel that Open Source does not affect them in any manner whatsoever. The truth is that Open Source affects us all and it is everywhere around us.  You could be a CEO of a billion-dollar corporation or a simple housewife; Open Source is having an impact on your life as you read this. Today, we’re well into the Information Age. Computers are the core of this era. Good software leads to better, stronger and more powerful industries. In order to have a strong foundation, it is essential to have powerful and efficient software. For this very purpose, Open Source offers you the best and the most cost effective solutions that there are to offer.

Just look around yourself. Most of the applications that you prefer using on your computer are from the Open Source fraternity. If you like watching television, use MP3 players or like to chat on your mobile phone, there is a very strong chance that these products are actually coded with Open Source software.

You might be coding in PHP or debugging in Perl, browsing the web on Firefox or creating presentations on OpenOffice, downloading stuff for your project from SourceForge or using your SYMBIAN based phone, after you have visited our entire site, we are sure that you will realize how Open Source is an integral part of your day-to-day activites.

It is everywhere. Just look carefully.



References

'SARS: An Open Scar', takes a trip back in time to look at the SARS outbreak. We aim to provide concise yet detailed information on the SARS outbreak, prevention methods and the SARS coronavirus. This educational and informative site features fascinating pictures, in-depth case studies and even a classroom section for students and educators.

This site is a comprehensive resource on SARS, providing videos, interviews, and also an interactive timeline to enhance the learning experience. Included are also a search feature and a glossary to clarify dubious terms. In order to facilitate better learning of content, we have integrated charts and graphics to help the user visualise important concepts.

In creating this website, we want people to be aware of the impact of the outbreak and the unmistakable scar SARS left on the world

 

What's on the Site?

'SARS: An Open Scar', takes a trip back in time to look at the SARS outbreak. We aim to provide concise yet detailed information on the SARS outbreak,

What is Open Source What is Open Source
Here we tell you what exactly Open Source is, how it all began and why you should care about this topic		 OSS in Life OSS in Life
How does Open Source have an impact on the basic necessities of our lives? Come here and we’ll show you how.
Why Open Sorce Software Why Open Source Software?
What really sets Open Source apart? What are its advantages and what is its current status? We make feel the basic essence of Open Source here.		 Software World OSS in the Software World
This industry is where the roots lie. This is where the winds of change is gathering into a storm. This is where the future lies.
Common User OSS for the User
A groundbreaking concept is that which changes the lives of people. In this section we show you how Open Source is doing just that.		 Web OSS on the Web
Why should the world care? We tell them why.
Industry OSS in the Industry
Open Source isn’t restricted the software industry. Here we give you case studies, success stories, a little satire and a lot more to convince you of the potential of Open Source.
 About Us
Seven different people. How we came together, collaborated and worked, to bring to you what you see here.