There exists a passion, a furore among the users to switch over to open source departing from the so called “Conventional Windows”. The chance of achieving self-esteem is enhanced when people use “Cool Operating Systems and Software” categorized as open source. A guy using Windows is not often associated with bewitching names like ‘nerd’, ‘geek’, ‘Tech freak’ and so on. However, it takes just an installation of open source software like Linux to change the way people look at you. It’s high time to realize the true need for opting open source and purge misconceptions about it.

There are some major issues to be addressed here. Firstly, the simple concept of feeling the other side of the field greener is what drives people to open source. The primary concern here is: How much do people explore on the existing technology? It’s so simple to brand Windows as a non-customizable operating system and jump to an OS where customization can be done according to the needs of the user. Such notions lead to reluctance in finding out ways to customize Windows. The very fact that right from the appearance of login screen (the background image, font etc) to the shutdown message, everything can be changed by the user; is not known by majority of the users. The no. of Windows PC with name other than “Start” on the start button, with folders named ‘con’,’ltp1’, ‘com1’ (try making them) on their hard disk, with pic of the user appearing on the Windows loading screen and many such situations are very rare. Therefore, if one cannot explore and find out customizing options in already existing OS, the possibility of actually going through the source code of an OS and then modifying it is very rare.

Second issue is concerning the user perception and behavior in case of open source. There is a mad race amongst developers to develop the best versions of open source and hence they code it with passion. However, we are now focusing on the end user who operates on the open source software or OS. What value addition does an open source does to the way user uses the product? Majority of students using Linux in schools and colleges have hardly seen the source code of Linux. Most of them are not even aware about the way to access the code and modify it. Even employees in IT industry use Linux just because of its free usage. They are least concerned about the very fact the Linux is “Open Source”. Therefore, this is the area where Open Source industry needs to rivet on.

There is clear distinction between open source software and free software. The fundamental difference between the two movements is in their values, their ways of looking at the world. For the Open Source movement, the issue of whether software should be open source is a practical question, not an ethical one. If there is no on the qui vive in the Open Source industry to this factor, then the time is not far when the two terms will commingle. The open source will have no value addition to the user and race to outshine will be limited to the developers alone. The lack of value addition is also apparent in Mac users where the major factor that drives the usage is style. Users are hardly aware of the existence of “Terminal” in their Mac system. They are bewildered by the name of ‘Vi editor’, one of the most powerful editors in existence. Hence, awareness and education of end users will bring in the real value of Open Source in market.

The final issue is about understanding where the actual craze for open source resides. The craze for genuinely working on open source is limited to the developers alone. There exists large proportion of users for whom using Open Source is just a fad. It is high time to convey the users the true meaning of open source and inspire them to explore the already existing operating systems and software.

Windows CE shared its source code, but how many even bothered to know about the product? Do people really value open source or it’s just the name that fascinates them? The answer to this question is the need of the hour, if we need to analyze and enhance the future of Open Source.