Free/Libre Open Source Software

Open Source is a powerful method of software development that has proven itself as increasingly popular method of large scale collaboration in the software arena.

The best source of information on Open Source and it's origins, is the so-called Hacker Anthropologist, Eric S. Raymond's web site. On that site you'll find Eric's famous essays, such as the "The Cathedral and the Bazaar" and "Homesteading the Noosphere."

Some might ask why we use the three words "Free", "Libre", and "Open" to describe this peculiar method of developing software. The answer is clarity. When we say "Free" we do not mean free of charge (though often, this is true). We mean free, as in Freedom. Libre, is Spanish for "free" in the sense of Freedom. Open reflects that the technologies are available to anyone, and the source code that drives those technologies are also available.

Projects:

• Matrix Math
• Mozbot

Further Information:

• FLOSS Weekly: A Netcast featuring interviews with many of the movers and shakers in the FLOSS world.
• Slashdot: News for Nerds, Stuff that Matters. Follows FLOSS, and other Tech issues. Discussions can be suspect.