Open vs. Closed Source

With the state of school funding in the condition that it currently finds itself and state funding of edtech initiatives feeling the same crunch as every other government office, schools are looking very closely at open source software as opposed to the traditionally more expensive corporate versions. Software corporations require that schools purchase packages of software and site licenses in order to stay up-to-date with the latest operating systems, web browsers, media players, and various productivity tools. It has gotten so out of control that school administrators are shying away from software and hardware updates, leaving their teachers and students behind the technological trends in our society and economy.

The easy solution would be to ditch the brand name software and replace it with open source versions that come with the inviting price of nothing, sans some download time. This would be easy if administrators and IT folks weren't so resistant to open source. They worry about the problems associated with free software, but they forget that even corporate-packaged software has its problems as well. It's time these decision-makers get over this hang-up. Open source software has served many an individual, business, and even school district well.

Although cost is still the greatest benefit of choosing open source over commercial brands, there are other characteristics that make the software valuable. Not only is open source free to schools, but students can download the software as well, making it more possible than ever to insure that students have the same access to universal formats as the schools. Open source is always improving. The developers are not limited by gift-giving seasons or marketing campaigns. They can make improvements as they go, often times before their commercial counterparts have even thought of the improvements.

Let's take Firefox for example. This is maybe one of the most widely used open source programs out there. In fact, I'm using it right now over the corporate brand already equipped on my machine. It was a quick and easy download that required no payment or package. In fact, I periodically download add-ons as they become available or meet my needs, instead of regular updates that interfere with the work I'm already doing. Many of the features I most appreciate on Firefox, like a zoom in function, tabs, spell-check, etc., were available well before my other browser went through an overhaul.

I have designs on becoming an administrator myself and plan to utilize open source whenever possible. Ultimately, I'd like to purchase basic machines with no software. We would then set up Linux as the operating system and go from there. Firefox would be our primary browser (assuming something else doesn't come along) and Open Office or some other tool would fill our productivity requirements. With some adjustments to school filters, we could utilize all the many great tools offered by Google, like Gmail, Google Reader, Blogger, and Google Calendars.

The need for expensive software packages with even pricier licensing agreements is over. Schools should move on to open source software in order to keep up with the ever-changing technological landscape. Or pay the costs later.