What Is Free and Open-Source Software (FOSS)?

If you've ever wanted to make a copy of your favorite movie, you know it's more challenging than it looks. You must take the original DVD, put it in an optical disc drive, and then convert the file from digital to analog. And then, if you're feeling particularly ambitious, write this converted file back onto another disc. But what if there was a way for this to happen automatically? What if you could give your computer all the instructions about what you wanted to be done—and then sit back and let it do all the work for you? Well, there is! And it's called Free and Open-Source Software (FOSS). Free and open-source software (FOSS) is a way of life. It can be modified, improved upon, or even completely overhauled by anyone with little time and a desire to do so. The source code for FOSS is free for anyone to access, edit, and modify as they see fit. This means that programmers can improve program functionality by modifying it—which is exactly what always happens. Before 1960, software was open and free. It was easy to develop, so there was no need to charge for it. Then the complexity of software applications grew. This made it harder to develop software packages—so developers started charging money for their work. Then developers found ways around paying for software: they started using product keys and Internet activation, which meant that you couldn't use a package unless you had a key code or an Internet connection. This worked well for developers, but their customers weren't so happy about it. People wanted access to their software without paying for it or dealing with any additional hassle! If you know any developers, you know that free, collaborative effort is a huge part of what they do. That's why FOSS (Free/Open Source Software) is so important: it's the result of developers collaborating and creating software together to solve complicated problems. Today, many FOSS projects are available for active developers who want to jump in and get their hands dirty—or learn something new.