Although open source, also called open source and free software, has become more and more popular, the perception still exists of very tenuous myths. It is high time to highlight the most common misconceptions.
1. ”It is impossible to do business with free software”
Open source licenses drive innovation and business worldwide. Many large companies rely on them to a high degree. Automakers are applying free software to onboard computers to handle automated emergency calls. The London Stock Exchange's trading platform is based on free software. In addition, large servers of many global companies such as Google rely on free software. Even giants like Google rely heavily on free software. In fact, the tech landscape wouldn't be the same without it. Some of today's biggest technology companies wouldn't exist without free software.
2. ”Free software has been developed by amateurs”
Although there are a large number of open source projects that have been initiated by volunteers, it is wrong to claim that only amateurs contribute code. Many open source enthusiasts are highly skilled IT professionals. Large companies invest millions of euros in free software projects such as Drupal by tasking their employees to work on improving code. Today, it is estimated that about 90% of the contributions to the Linux kernel, the fundamental part of GNU/Linux operating systems, come from professional developers. Despite the fact that the Linux kernel was initiated by a computer science student, it is currently part of vital IT infrastructure for almost all global actors.
3. ”There is no professional support for free software products”
Many open source companies specialize in services for customers, such as continuing education, code documentation, development and implementation of updates, or customized software wool solutions. Customers who demand professional support packages can choose from a large number of providers. Open source is no longer a niche. It's a myth that tech companies can't make money with free software. Business organisations such as OW2 OpenForum Europe (OFE) and the Open-Source Business Alliance (OSBA) represent hundreds of SMEs specialising in free software services.
4. ”Making source code available to the public poses a security risk.”
Publicly available code undergoes scrutiny by independent parties for vulnerabilities. Code transparency is a confidence booster. Hiding code doesn't guarantee security; it often conceals problems. The concept of security through hidden source code is considered ineffective by experts, as it hides security problems instead of helping to remedy them. In some contexts, this may even pose a security risk. Restrictive licenses keep useful help away and fail to disarm troublemakers.
5. ”Free software lowers the cost of IT services to zero”
It is true that open source reuse can be free of charge, but that does not mean that a business that uses 100% free software has zero IT spending. Development and improvement of features, as well as support services, costs money. Open source licenses are in many cases chosen not solely for short-term monetary reasons, but also as part of a strategy of self-determination in IT, preventing vendor lock-in.
6. ”Free software is generally less user-friendly”
The time when open source alternatives lacked a proper user interface is in the past. Think Android smartphones, modern TVs, and Wikipedia, all powered by open source. Some of the most widely used content management systems (CMS) for websites such as Drupal, WordPress and Typo3 are also open source.
7. ”Free software is not compatible with proprietary software”
Free software can be a complement to proprietary software. Many organizations use partial proprietary software and partially open source software. Prominent examples for projects running on various operating systems include the Firefox browser, the web analytics utility Matomo, and the media player VLC. In addition to these, there are many proprietary applications that are compatible with open source operating systems. In proprietary projects, software owners specify desired compatibility, while open source licenses can be freely modified by corporate and private users based on their needs.
8. ”Open source is software without a license”
There are many open source software licenses that have specific terms to copy and modify the code. The word “free” in free software/open source refers to the “four freedoms”: the right to use, study, share, and improve software. For a code to qualify as free software, it is not enough just to publish it. To guarantee that the software grants these freedoms to others, an appropriate license.
9. ”The use of free software carries legal risks”
Open source isn't a legal minefield. Court orders have confirmed that it is not obliged to provide safeguards for open source, unless there is further evidence to suggest otherwise. However, as with any other license, there are certain rules that come with an open source license that require compliance. For example, one must not deny other users the four freedoms to use, study, share and improve software.
10. ”Free software is a trend that will not continue”
Free software is not a short-term trend, it is actually a long-term success story. The first explicit license for open source software was published in the 1980s. Since then, the number of individuals, companies and institutions using free software has increased and they are constantly contributing code. More and more governments are encouraging their public administrations to use free software and provide access to publicly funded code under a free software license. Some countries, such as Bulgaria and Italy, have even introduced laws stating that new projects funded with public money should result in public code.
The text has been previously published by the non-profit organization Public Money, Public Code.
