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Untouchable Environment

IAE4 (Intensive Academic English 4), Robertson College

Jorge Alberto Forero Molano

Jeannine Brandt

January 25, 2023

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Untouchable Environment

We have surrounded by an untouchable environment known as a software since the

informatics age started. In this moment is more common coexist with it, owing we interacted

with it without knowing, for instance, in our homes from microwaves or smartwatches until

things more complex as launching space rockets.

Software is compounded by source code; this has been written with specific instruction

on how and when uses some hardware to accomplish some task. This software is important due

to without it, would be impossible has all the solutions the humankind knows, and because it is

in almost all electronic devices, we use day to day. The software comes from different code

sources, one of code source is called open source software (OSS), which is a piece of code

developed by the community and the source code is open to anyone with enough skills to read,

modify, and create on base of it; all of this it is for free. On the other hand, proprietary software

which is developed usually by a private organization which its aim is to commercialize it. In this

scenario the source code cannot be changed, it is locked by the owner, and the final user must

pay to use it. From my point of view open source software should be widespread among

informatics users, this essay will discuss some differences in support, security and usability

between open source software and private software.

To begin support is indispensable because it is a fact that anybody will need it. In open

source software, the support team is on the community; “That makes 24.2 million total software

developers globally.” (Asay, 2019), supporting the project with their knowledge, and time, on

the reward they will have programmers’ recognition. On the other hand, in private software there

is a support team paid by a company. Their job is maintaining the software as free of bugs (little

and annoying errors) as possible, opposed to open source software, hither, support team will be
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determined by the numbers of company’s employees. In other words, open source software’s

support generally has more people working for it than private software.

To be continued security will improve when has more brains working for make it better.

In a private software, the security is provided by the developer company owing the source code

is developed and maintain by them. They are restricted by the amount of their employees. “Open

source projects share the code created, which is more efficient than every company doing their

own thing.” (Handley, 2022), whereas in the open source software could be more effective

owing there are more eyes debugging the source code’s structure. The open source software

enables the collaboration of many programmers around the globe. “A recent Statista study shows

that while 91% of attacks still target Windows,” (Panetti, 2022). In conclusion, taking for

granted that a private software is more secure in contrast with open source software just because

the first one must be paid it is not enough guarantee as security. In other words, security not

necessarily has a price.

Last but not least usability, this refers to how is for the user interact with the software and

get the results the user is required. The open source software is less known by the public, that is

why it is less used. This it will make that when someone wants to use it has to start to learn from

basics owing the graphics, and the tool’s position would be in a new place, whereas, the private

software is more commonly used by large public and private companies, that fact made it more

known, used, and taught to more people. Private software companies have been getting people

used to their interface since their software got popular. To sum up usability depends on what the

user have used.

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This assay has analyzed three main aspects such as support, security, and usability from

two sources of code. In conclusion, open source has more support, is more secure, however,

private software has more usability. I am not and expert, but I think if the open source software

will be widespread more people could enjoy it.

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References

Asay, M. (2019, November 7). The real number of open source developers. InfoWorld.

https://www.infoworld.com/article/3452881/the-real-number-of-open-source-

developers.html

Handley, E. (2022, February 8). What is open source, and why does it matter today? Open

Access Government.

Panetti, J. (2022, March 28). Major Operating Systems Targeted by Ransomware.

Ransomware.org; Ransomware.org. https://ransomware.org/blog/major-operating-

systems-targeted-by-ransomware/