Open+Source,+Shareware,+and+Freeware

= Shareware, freeware, and open source software = toc



Shareware, freeware, and open source software are three similar-sounding terms with distinctly different meanings. When referring to free software, developers are not merely talking about the price. This definition comes from the Free Software Foundation:

"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."

Shareware
Shareware is software that requires payment for unlimited, unrestricted use. The developer owns the rights and does not distribute the source code. Merriam-Webster defines shareware as "software with usually limited capability or incomplete documentation which is available for trial use at little or no cost but which can be upgraded upon payment of a fee to the author." The term was first used in 1983.

Freeware
Freeware was a term used in the 1980s to refer to programs released without source code available. Today Merriam-Webster defines freeware as "software that is available for use at no cost or for a nominal usually voluntary fee." The term was first used in 1983.

Open source software
Open source software is free with source code fully available. Users can change the source code, or use it as part of another project, or share it with others. Often a user community develops to create a network of support and discussion. There is no dictionary definition for open source software, but the accepted Open Source Definition is maintained by the Open Source Initiative. The term "open source" was coined in 1998 in an effort to re-brand the culture of code sharing and free distribution. This was the hacker philosophy, and they aimed to convince the software corporations that they could profit off of it. On February 8, 1998, Eric Raymond issued an open letter to the hacker community asking that the term "free software" be replaced by "open source." In his letter, Raymond explains why he is proposing this change:

"Specifically, we have a problem with the //term// 'free software', itself, not the concept. I've become convinced that the term has to go. The problem with it is twofold. First, it's confusing; the term 'free' is very ambiguous (something the [|Free Software Foundation] 's propaganda has to wrestle with constantly). Does 'free' mean 'no money charged?' or does it mean 'free to be modified by anyone', or something else? Second, the term makes a lot of corporate types nervous. While this does not intrinsically bother me in the least, we now have a pragmatic interest in converting these people rather than thumbing our noses at them. There's now a chance we can make serious gains in the mainstream business world without compromising our ideals and commitment to technical excellence -- so it's time to reposition. We need a new and better label."


 * References **

//History of the Open Source Initiative //. (n.d.). Retrieved from []

Raymond, E. S. (1998, February 8). //Goodbye, "free software"; hello, "open source".// Retrieved from http://www.catb.org/~esr/open-source.html

//What is free software? // (2011, July 13). Retrieved from http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html