Open source sparks joy

In the last few years I have developed a deep appreciation for open source software. To be fair, I have always liked the idea of open source tools but I never spent much time specifically seeking out open source software. Now, I actively look for open source tools whenever I have a problem that need to be solved. And the reason for that is simple: Open Source sparks joy in me! Knowing that people create software and share it openly with the world just makes me happy. But I guess there is a little more to it.

Why it matters

Stop for a second and imagine a world without Linux. Let's say Linus Torvalds had never openly shared his hobby project in 1991 and, for the sake of the argument, imagine that no other effort had resulted in a free and open source operating system. The world would probably look vastly different. Today, around 63% of servers are running Linux! I am convinced that without it, we wouldn't have seen nearly as much technological innovation in the last decades.

And Linux is just one example among many. Projects like sqlite or ffmpeg and many others have had a similar impact on innovation. But apart from being an essential driver for innovation, open source software is a manifestation of freedom. Most open source licenses grant you the freedom to change the software as you please and the more permissive licenses like MIT or Apache 2.0 even grant you the rights to basically do anything you want with the code. Even if you just use the software as is and do not plan to change even one little thing - you are at least not being told by anybody how to use the software and what to do with it.

This last part has become increasingly important to me. In a world, where everything seems to be turned into a subscription, where companies restrict how you can use your devices even though you've already payed for them - it is so refreshing to realize that you can just do stuff. The only thing you need is curiosity and a bit of motivation. Thanks to the success of git (again, thanks to Linus Torvalds) and with it, github and similar online code repositories, open source software is more accessible than ever.

Why don't you try this: Pick a software that you bought or that you are paying a monthly subscription for and ask o3 in chatgpt to search for some open source alternatives. I can guarantee you that you will get multiple suggestions. Or peruse this website to see which open source tools I can recommend.

What about making money?

Open Source does not automatically mean that you can't charge for software, although I do admit that the software I personally find most interesting, is the one that is not only open but also free (as in beer and also as in freedom). That still does not mean that making money and open source are mutually exclusive, though, as many successful companies have proven that there are clear options for monetization, either through dual licensing, service contracts, sponsoring etc. For online services, many people are actually more than willing to pay a monthly fee for a hosted option, where they don't have to dive into self hosting. I myself am actually paying for several open source services, because it is very convenient and I'll gladly support the developers.

The Future of Open Source

Another area of progress that would not have been possible without open source (and open research) is artificial intelligence. How could LLMs and other AI models have been trained without access to the enormous amounts of open source code available on the internet? We have to acknowledge that our technological progress is build on top of a giant foundation of openly shared knowledge and this is something we have to protect! Writing software has in turn become much more accessible thanks to AI, which enables even more people to create new tools that solve specific problems. I for one, have started writing my own tools that fit my way of working perfectly and I also share the code openly on github. I encourage you to do the same, even if it might seem daunting at first. Because even if you are the only person to ever use it, as long as it sparks joy in you, it was worth the effort!