Is anyone in here a FOSS fan? I love Free and Open Source Software so much, that I'm trying to raise awareness about it. The movement started in the mid-80's when software costs were always rising and rising. Free Software Foundation(FSF) emerged, an alternative to DOS and Unix started in order to make a completely Free operating system available under the name "GNU". Then, in the early 90s, a brilliant man named "Linus Torvalds" decided to write another Open Source Operating System, the one known as "Linux". Linux today is powering more than 95% of the Web servers, it's kernel is being used to create Android, and it is something you've probably heard as "Ubuntu Linux" or "Fedora Linux". Ubuntu and Fedora can be described as flavors, just like we have different types of milk (fat-free, low-fat, full-fat), each aiming to different target-group. 99% of Linux software is free as in "free beer" (you can download it, install it, share it with friends and family), but also free as in "free speech" to which apply these 4 simple rules (quoted from the GNU/FSF website "Free Software Definition"): What do you say about this? Do you like it? Hate it? If you do hate it, why?
Well I use Open Office. Does that count? Yeah free to use software is nice, but at some point the people who develop it need to be compensated for their efforts.
Of course it counts! Most of the people who are giving their time for the Open Source and Free Software community, are doing it because they want to be part of something pure and moral. Most of them are hired by corporations who are in charge of giving the software to the community and other corporations, or are part of a sponsored community (and believe me there are lots and lots of them), or are accepting donations from people who are thankfull for their software, so their efforts are compensated. And not all of them care about money, many of them are just for the fun of it!
I've heard of open source software. In fact, I think Firefox (Mozilla) is considered open source. Most people would deny ever using open source anything cause it's free until they realize they would have to live without their favorite browser, then they shut their mouth.
Yes, Mozilla Firefox is open source. Everyone is using something that is open source. Some parts of Windows, parts of your favorite website and even software parts of the mobile phone you are using.
I try to use open source software to avoid having to deal with trials or paying for software. There's some great stuff out there, but also some rubbish. It's also a pain trying to get something to work because there's less than a hundred users for it and there's no documentation...
I use Open Office in my Mac. I also used Open Office in Windows XP. Few years back, it was really frustrating working with Open Office considering the ease of use with MS Office. Now I feel, Open Office is as good as MS Office.
I love free and open source software. I use OpenOffice regularly and just recently installed Ubuntu 11.10 on an older laptop. I'm no programming genius, but I'm more than willing to get my hands dirty when it comes to technology.
I use Open Office too. I like it because it pretty much does everything that MS Office does with few exceptions. You definitely get what you pay for-or more than you pay for I should say.
