Summary

The article clarifies common misconceptions about open source software, emphasizing the importance of understanding and adhering to software licenses, and acknowledges that open source software can be proprietary.

Abstract

The author of the article addresses the frequent misunderstandings surrounding open source software, stressing that the term 'open source' does not inherently mean the software is free to use without restrictions. The article underscores the importance of reading and complying with the software license, which dictates usage rights. It also explains that 'open source' refers to the transparency of the source code, allowing users to view and evaluate it, but not necessarily granting unrestricted use. The author points out that proprietary software can also be open source if the owner chooses to share the code while retaining ownership and control over its use. The piece concludes by encouraging readers to support software developers by paying for valuable software, which in turn helps authors create more beneficial tools, and it redirects the focus towards more significant topics such as securing cloud environments.

Opinions

The author expresses frustration with debates over the definition of open source, viewing them as a distraction from more pressing issues.
They advocate for ethical use of software, suggesting that users should either abide by the license or negotiate terms with the author if they wish to use the software in ways not permitted by the license.
The author believes that software creators should be compensated for their work, except in cases where they choose to give it away for free.
There is an opinion that the term 'open source' has multiple meanings and should not be strictly defined, as software developers have the freedom to choose how they label and distribute their work.
The article suggests that proprietary and open source are not mutually exclusive terms, and that owners of proprietary software can choose to make their source code visible while still maintaining ownership rights.
The author emphasizes the importance of making informed decisions about software use and payment, which ultimately supports the creation of more valuable software tools.
There is a call to action for readers to prioritize securing their cloud environments and understanding key security concepts, which is seen as more beneficial than debating semantics.

Open Source Does Not Equal Free Source

Open source — What’s the point?

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If you read by my book at the bottom of this post, you know I dislike arguments about the meaning of words because it is often a waste of time and distraction from important things that need to get done. Like my recent blog series and code in the related GitHub repository.

But this topic of open source has been bugging me for a while now because I see people debating it. But there’s really nothing to debate.

Read the license

There’s this thing called a license that defines how you can use the software. That’s it. Read the license and abide by it if you are a moral and ethical person. If you want to use the software in some other way, offer to pay the author an appropriate sum to use it. If you don’t understand the license, hire a lawyer.

Definition of Open. Source.

As for the term “open source” consider the words, if you must.

There are multiple definitions of the word “open”. If you want to see some of them you can type the following in a Google search: “define open”

Here’s one definition:

exposed to the air or to view; not covered.

Meaning you can see it. Unlike software that is created and delivered in such a manner that you cannot see it or know what is in it, some software may be delivered in a manner that allows you to see it. This is beneficial for people who want to evaluate the security of software or how it works.

Here’s another definition of open from the same list of definitions.

freely available or accessible; offered without restriction.

Some software authors may choose to give their software away with no restrictions. That is up to them.

Open has multiple meanings. There’s no dictionary police making developers use one definition of the other when they write software. If you want to know if you can freely use the software or not with no restrictions, read the license.

Open source can also be proprietary

Now, because of something I just read, I have to add the definition of proprietary to this post. Proprietary means you own it.

relating to an owner or ownership

Here are some other definitions:

of, relating to, or characteristic of an owner or title holder

You may have exclusive legal right but you can still make the code open source. You can share it with others and define the way in which people use it.

Proprietary and open source are not mutually exclusive. A person who uses proprietary software might make it open source so people can see what it looks like. However, some may choose to keep proprietary methods and works private because once you share it, people will generally steal it. But that doesn’t mean it’s not proprietary. It just means some choose not to obey laws or do not have morals that are in the best interest of human kind.

People should be paid for their work, unless they choose otherwise

More and more people who write software are finally coming to the realization that you have to make money to pay the bills. In some cases, software that was formerly free is later turned into a product. Or the free software is still available but you can purchase an upgrade.

Appreciate the time and effort people put in to give away software. Pay for the software you find valuable. It’s the right thing to do and it will help the authors create software that is even more valuable.

GitHub - tradichel/SecurityMetricsAutomation

This code is associated with a series of blog posts. Please refer to these posts for more information: Automating…

github.com

If you want to spend your time noodling over a concept why not think about ways to make your cloud environment less buggy and more secure? That may help prevent future data breaches and that’s something that helps us all as I explained in my book. Everything is connected and cloud environments are now critical infrastructure.

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About Teri Radichel:
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⭐️ Author: Cybersecurity Books
⭐️ Presentations: Presentations by Teri Radichel
⭐️ Recognition: SANS Award, AWS Security Hero, IANS Faculty
⭐️ Certifications: SANS ~ GSE 240
⭐️ Education: BA Business, Master of Software Engineering, Master of Infosec
⭐️ Company: Penetration Tests, Assessments, Phone Consulting ~ 2nd Sight Lab

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