Digital Valdosta

FOSS

Excerpt from Wikipedia
Free and open-source software (F/OSS, FOSS) or free/libre/open-source software (FLOSS) is software that is liberally licensed to grant users the right to use, study, change, and improve its design through the availability of its source code. This approach has gained both momentum and acceptance as the potential benefits have been increasingly recognized by both individuals and corporations.

In the context of free and open-source software, free refers to the freedom to copy and re-use the software, rather than to the price of the software. The Free Software Foundation, an organization that advocates the free software model, suggests that, to understand the concept, one should “think of free as in free speech, not as in free beer”.

FOSS is an inclusive term that covers both free software and open source software, which despite describing similar development models, have differing cultures and philosophies. Free software focuses on the philosophical freedoms it gives to users, whereas open source software focuses on the perceived strengths of its peer-to-peer development model. FOSS is a term that can be used without particular bias towards either political approach.

What does FOSS have to do with Digital Valdosta?

FOSS has a lot to with what I do in both web design and computer repair. I use an open source software called WordPress when creating most web sites. This software not only makes maintaining the website easy for you the client but also for me the designer.

WordPress is a CMS (or Content Management System). With WordPress you can create your page content separate from the code. For me to alter your website design, I create a theme and activate from the backend of the software. Never having to touch your content.

On the side of computer repair I use various open source software tools to recover data from failing hard drives, test hardware, and unlock Windows computers in which the owner has forgotten the password.

FOSS and You

There is a vast community accompanied with FOSS. There is also an equally vast list of software listed as FOSS. The list ranges from Operating Systems (OS [I suggest Ubuntu for the non-tech minded]), Office software, graphics programs and many more. Some of this software is available for use on Windows and MAC Operating Systems. Just search on Google for your OS and open source software. You will find plenty out there.

If you have a software package that falls into this category, list it below. Until next time, have a blessed day.