Free Software and Open Source Software

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses free software and open source software, noting that free software actually refers to software providing specific kinds of freedom to users, while "open source software" means that the user is made privy to the code so he or she can change the software as well as use it. The writer maintains that much of the argument dates to 1984 and the publication of the "Gnu Manifesto," written by Richard Stallman.

From the Paper:

"Software developers differ on the relative value of the terms "free software" or "open source software." The terms are not completely identical. Free software could be any software for which no charge is made, though it actually refers to software providing specific kinds of freedom to users, while "open source software" means that the user is made privy to the code so he or she can change the software as well as use it. By either name, the associated vision of software and users challenges the usual idea of copyright and intellectual property."

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