Open Source Primer Open Source in the Law Office Gwynne Monahan Founder, Chief Consultant - Shadow Froggy Consulting

Open Source? Legal: refers to type of licenses under which software can be released. GPL/GNU Concept is the elimination of restrictions Access Price

Legal: refers to type of licenses under which software can be released.

GPL/GNU

Concept is the elimination of restrictions

Access

Price

4 Pieces 4 “pieces” to open source: Computer Software Source Code Freely Available To Change and Alter

4 “pieces” to open source:

Computer Software

Source Code

Freely Available

To Change and Alter

Software & Source Code Software: applications you use all the time Word Outlook IE FireFox Source Code: what makes the software work HTML .NET PHP

Software: applications you use all the time

Word

Outlook

IE

FireFox

Source Code: what makes the software work

HTML

.NET

PHP

Freely Available & To Alter and Change Freely Available = $0 Don't have to pay for permission to use the software To Alter and Change Access to the source code, or guts, of the software Hook pieces together, build add-ons,

Freely Available = $0

Don't have to pay for permission to use the software

To Alter and Change

Access to the source code, or guts, of the software

Hook pieces together, build add-ons,

Common Misconceptions “ Alter source code? I must know all kinds of computer code to use the app then.” “ I must either go open source or go proprietary.” “ There's no support if I run into trouble.” “ Open must mean there is no security.”

“ Alter source code? I must know all kinds of computer code to use the app then.”

“ I must either go open source or go proprietary.”

“ There's no support if I run into trouble.”

“ Open must mean there is no security.”

Open Source Example: OpenOffice OpenOffice Free Alternative to MS Office All-In-One Word Processor Spreadsheet PPT Database Does things MS Office can't WordPerfect & .docx Files Timer Function

OpenOffice

Free Alternative to MS Office

All-In-One

Word Processor

Spreadsheet

PPT

Database

Does things MS Office can't

WordPerfect & .docx Files

Timer Function