Sky's the limit for open-source software

In a 1675 letter to fellow scientist Robert Hooke, Isaac Newton wrote: "If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants," a metaphor that I find perfectly captures the essence of open-source software development.

Unlike proprietary software, where the source code is kept secret, OSS is developed in a collaborative and public manner.

It is software with source code that anyone can inspect, modify and enhance.

The Linux operating system is a prime example.

It started as a small project in 1991 by Linus Torvalds, a Finnish-American software engineer who was dissatisfied with the expensive and restrictive MS-DOS operating system on his personal computer.

Linux has since grown into a global phenomenon with contributions from more than 15,000 developers, according to GitHub, a developer platform for hosting code.

This collaborative effort has made it one of the most widely used operating systems, powering everything from web servers to smartphones and supercomputers.

Another example is the Apache HTTP Server.

It was created by a group of developers at the US National Center for Supercomputing Applications in 1995 who were motivated by a desire to promote a free, open-source web server that could support the growing needs of the World Wide Web.

Open-source software is widely used in many industries, including technology, finance, health care and government.

Over three quarters of organizations increased their use of open-source software in the past year.

GitHub has millions of repositories and contributors.

Projects like Visual Studio Code, Kubernetes and TensorFlow have thousands of contributors.

This week I want to examine the three pillars that drive OSS development - transparency, trust and collaboration.

The transparency of an open-source code makes it available for anyone to inspect, building trust and allowing for thorough security audits.

The development process is often open, with discussions, bug reports and feature requests visible to the public. With so many developer eyes on it, vulnerabilities can be spotted and fixed quickly, often leading to more secure software.

The OSS community is vast and diverse, comprised of experts from various fields. When you contribute to or use OSS, you're leveraging the collective wisdom and experience of countless developers.

With trust, the OSS community can freely review and contribute to the code, ensuring that it meets high standards.

Projects and contributors build reputations based on their contributions, fostering a trustworthy environment.

OSS projects benefit from continuous contributions and improvements.

Bugs are identified and fixed quickly, new features are added and performance is optimized.

This ongoing process ensures that the software evolves and improves over time, often surpassing proprietary alternatives.

The final success factor is collaboration, which sees developers from around the world contribute, bringing diverse perspectives and expertise.

Contributors often share common goals, such as improving the software or solving specific problems, which drive collective effort and innovation.

OSS allows developers to build upon the work of others.

Instead of starting from scratch, they can use existing code, libraries and frameworks to create new and innovative solutions. This accelerates development and fosters innovation.

OSS development thrives on a collaborative spirit which leads to higher quality software and fosters a sense of community and shared purpose.

By standing on the shoulders of these giants, developers of open-source software achieve more, innovate faster and contribute to a thriving ecosystem that benefits all.

Jolly Wong is a policy fellow at the Centre for Science and Policy,

University of Cambridge