Open Source

Open source is a development methodology, which offers practical accessibility to a product's source (goods and knowledge).

Before open source became widely adopted, developers and producers used a variety of phrases to describe the concept; the term open source gained popularity with the rise of the Internet, which provided access to diverse production models, communication paths, and interactive communities.

The promise of open source is better quality, higher reliability, more flexibility, lower cost, and an end to predatory vendor lock-in.