ILWIS is a blog that focuses on the impact of open source software in everyday lives. With the rapid expansion and penetration of the internet in daily lives, many of us have been exposed to programming. Once limited to a few degree-educated developers, coding is now almost a commodity.
In the past, tech giants such as IBM and Microsoft controlled the internet, one could say. The very best of programmers were hired by such firms and compensated lucratively. Software development was controlled by these large corporate giants and the end-product had to be purchased by consumers. But then, things began to change.
With the introduction of Linux in our daily lives, the concept of open source was introduced. Essentially, open source is a software that can be modified and distributed by normal internet users for free, with the full rights granted to the modifier. The idea was to enhance the reach of the internet and to let people develop numerous applications almost for free. As the market grows larger consequently, the copyright holder would, in some form, benefit economically.
It stems from the idea of welcoming competitors to an industry to grow the overall reach of the industry. Think about it. If Apple had been the only smartphone manufacturer, the potential of the smartphone would never have been realized.