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Service and Security
Service and Security, like Innovation and Functionality, are areas in
which there are both drawbacks and advantages to open source software.
Service Pros
The advantages troubleshooting service for OSS is the simple fact that
the source code is open and was developed and used by a number of
people who are therefore knowledgeable about the program and are able
to help. Furthermore, the collaborative community-oriented nature
of open source means that the types of people with expertise are
usually glad to help out. So if you know where to look, it isn’t
too difficult to find help with a program, or even a fix to the source
code, something not possible with proprietary software.
Service Cons
The problem with service is that it is not centralized. With
Apple you are not only buying their operating system, but also their
support system. You can take your Mac to any Apple store and
consult the paid workers trained to fix any common problems that occur
in Apple software. There is no knowledge needed to deal with
problems when running proprietary software programs because they all
have official support systems in place.
Security Pros and Cons
The access to source code is at once both helpful for
security and harmful. It is helpful in that if there
is something wrong with the program, the source code is
available to be looked at and fixed. However, this
also makes it easier for hackers to modify the code and
breach its security, especially given the collaborative
nature of OSS. Ultimately, though, it is the strength
of the program itself and those who monitor it for safety
that is the key element, with open versus closed source
mattering relatively little Usablesecurity.com.
Also, a social factor in security is the importance of
the program in question; a large, important program with
a large market share is much more appealing to hackers
and therefore less secure.
Conclusions
Service and Security epitomize the nature of the debate over the
quality of OSS versus proprietary software. While overall quality
is essentially equal, OSS has the advantage of being community driven
and free, while proprietary software has the advantage of being
centralized and easier to use. Ultimately, the advantage comes
down to technological literacy. In the largely technologically
illiterate world of the past few decades, proprietary software
dominated because of its ability to provide people with a brand, a
finished product, allowing users to thrive with only very basic
computer literacy. However, over time, as the populace has grown
more and more technologically literate, the need for the big software
companies to spoon feed people pretty, easy to use programs has
diminished, and simultaneously the expertise needed to replace them has
grown. As technological literacy continues to increase, we are at
a transition point, in which people who have spent some of their time
learning about computers, computer software, and how they work are
eager to use their knowledge in this growing world of OSS. They
desire a more inclusive, interactive relationship with technology,
where the consumer designs and controls more of his user experience,
transitioning from the traditional producer consumer relationship and
entering a new era of individual interactivity and competency.
For many people already, the price tag attached to proprietary software
is no longer worth it, and as those number of people grow, so to will
the market share of OSS along with the effectiveness of its
collaborative production process. OSS has all the tools to
succeed as a technology, and society is changing to make its success a
reality.
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