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Open Source

Okay, I just need to vent.  I’ve spent hours analyzing papers, trying to figure out how the Texas DOT pavement method works.  Specifically how the software works that they use for pavement design.  I have the dissertation that the software was based on, and included in the dissertation is the code to the program in Fortran.  Me not knowing Fortran is beside the point, I’ll be learning it here very soon.  If you are going to put your source code at the back of your dissertation, release it open source, and put it somewhere, like sourceforge.com.

I am not going to regurgitate the Fortran, the parts I use from these old programs will be re-programmed in a language I am more fluent in.  It would be nice, however to have the code already up somewhere so I could get to it, other than having to read it line by line from a 10 year old dissertation.

On the subject of open source… I don’t understand how government entities and public university faculty can release proprietary  software.  They are funded by the public, therefore their work is owned by the public.  Shouldn’t it be open source?  Oh what a wonderful world it would be if I could just get the source code I need, instead of spending hours and hours just reading through documentation and papers to figure out how to write one tiny routine or function; especially when no information is provided about how to obtain certain variables, and I can’t ‘look under the hood’ and see how they did it.  Maybe they don’t know how to do it either, and that is why they are hiding it.

I think open source is the perfect way to program transparently.  I prefer using open source because:

1. I can change the software to suit my needs.
2. I can make sure the software doesn’t do anything I don’t appreciate (stealing passwords, etc).
3. I can re-use someone else’s code in my project, provided I don’t overstep their licensing terms.  (I love the GPL).

I use quite a bit of open source.  The software that runs this blog is open source.  In fact everything on my server is open source.

I think there are a few (very few) circumstances when closed source should be used.  Right now none come to mind.  Keep in mind that open source doesn’t mean free.  I think that if I am paying $5,000+ for a license (a single license) for software, the source code should be included.  I can understand businesses that make money selling crappy software don’t want the source getting out, but when I pay so much for software I’m not paying for the program, I’m paying for the tech support.  Open source makes tech support work much better (ie less calls) because I can get under the hood and resolve my questions on my own.  Instead of calling and begging for functionality to be added to software, I can add it, or pay someone to add it for me.

I don’t like closed source and proprietary only software.

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