Free & Open Source Software For Nonprofits: NTEN Webinar
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Transcript of Free & Open Source Software For Nonprofits: NTEN Webinar
Free and Open Source Software
For Nonprofits: Tools and Tips
Gregory HellerTwitter: @[email protected]
What is Free Software
Free software is a matter of liberty, not price.
Think of free as in free speech, not free as in free beer.
What is Free Software
Free software is a matter of liberty, not price. To understand the concept, you should think of free as in free speech, not as in free beer.Free software is a matter of the users' freedom to run, copy, distribute, study, change and improve the software. More precisely, it means that the program's users have the four essential freedoms:The freedom to run the program, for any purpose (freedom 0).
The freedom to study how the program works, and change it so it does your computing as you wish (freedom 1). Access to the source code is a precondition for this.
The freedom to redistribute copies so you can help your neighbor (freedom 2).
The freedom to distribute copies of your modified versions to others (freedom 3). By doing this you can give the whole community a chance to benefit from your changes. Access to the source code is a precondition for this.Excerpted from http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html
What Is Open Source
Open source is a development method for software that harnesses the power of distributed peer review and transparency of process. The promise of open source is better quality, higher reliability, more flexibility, lower cost, and an end to predatory vendor lock-in.
Source: http://www.opensource.org/
Why does it matter?
Access to the source code
Ability to modify the source code
No licensing fees
No vendor lock-in
Software Licensing
No Licensing FEE does not mean No LicenseGPL v2 & GPL v3
Affero AGP
BSD
Apache License
Creative Commons
This probably doesn't matter much to you unless you are a developer.
What doesn't it mean?
NO COSTS
Flickr:bstabler Brad Stabler
Not All Wine and Roses
Flickr:ragingferret
Rent Vs. Own
Like renting a house, instead of owning, there are trade-offs.You don't have to pay to replace the roof, but then again, you might not be able to paint the walls or remodel the kitchen.
So What Does It Cost?
You don't pay for licensing
But you may pay for:Hosting
Support
Training
Community vs Company
Free & Open Source software is maintained by communities of developers. Sometimes they are paid by a company to do so, in collaboration with others who are not. Sometimes many companies pay different people to maintain different aspects of the software.
Where Do You Use FOSS
Desktop
LAN/Server/Intranet
Web Servers
Web Applications
Embedded software on Devices
Desktop: You're Already Using It
Desktop Software
You Could Be Using
GIMP
KompoZer
Ditch Windows or OSX
Linux on the desktop with:
Why Linux for your OS?
Free
Secure
Better performance on older hardware
LAN/Server/Intranet
File Servers
Routers
Telephony & Telepresence
Mobile Devices
Phones, Tablets, eReaders
Web Server Operating System
Web Applications
Community vs Company
Thousands of developersHundreds of companiesMillions of Websites=Resilience
Web Services
Resources
The Open Source Initiativehttp://opensource.org
The Free Software Foundationhttp://directory.fsf.org/wiki/Main_Page
http://SourceForge.net
http://civicactions.com/[email protected]