http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7910110.stm
Open source software is software for which the developers have publicly released the source code. This allows anybody to see details of how the program works. It's proponents believe that this community-oriented approach decreases the chance of security flaws, and the fact that this software is normally free means thousands of dollars are saved by not having to pay licensing fees. It's opponents believe open-source software to be less reliable, because it doesn't have the support that paid companies like Microsoft can provide. Again - proponents of open source software believe community-based support to be higher quality than outsourced-tech-support calls that cost a fortune.
A number of government have been considering this switch lately, which would result in more international collaboration in the community; i.e. - globalization!
Possible research topics:
- What has happened in similar arguments in other countries, like Russia?
- How does the use of free software by large organizations affect the economy?
- How has open-source software had an impact on national security?
- What are proprietary software companies doing to remain competitive in the market?
- How is the market changing to support the open-source business model?
- What do companies and citizens expect governments to consider when acting as a consumer?
- How has this decision impacted civilian communities?
Thursday, February 26, 2009
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1 comment:
Wow I am really impressed with your idea. It is really specific and I think that you will be able to find a lot of information on that topic. I'm excited to read your final paper.
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