Why use free (GIS) software?

Definition and history of Open Source software

The Free Software philosophy is rooted in the free exchange of knowledge and thoughts, a concept that's traditionally found in the scientific community. Like ideas, computer programs are intangible and can be copied without loss. Their distribution is the basis of an evolving process that nurtures the development of thought.

In the early '80s, Richard M. Stallman was the first to formalise this way of thinking about software in the form of four freedoms:

1st freedom: The freedom to use the software, for any purpose.

2nd freedom: The freedom to study how the software works and to change / adapt it to fit your needs.

3rd freedom: The freedom to redistribute copies.

4th freedom: The freedom to distribute copies of your modified software to others, allowing the community to benefit from your changes

Software that has these 4 freedoms is referred to as Free Software (free as in freedom).

FSF

To support this idea and make it a reality, Richard M. Stallman created the "Free Software Foundation" in 1984 and launched the GNU project. The licence of the GNU project, the GNU General Public Licence (GNU GPL or simply GPL), not only grants the four freedoms listed above but also protects them. Thanks to this protection, the GPL is the most widely used license for Free Software today.

GNU

In parallel with the GPL there are other licenses that grant these freedoms which qualify as Free Software licenses. One of them, the FreeBSD license, deserves a special mention. Its main difference from the GPL is that it doesn't seek to protect those freedoms.

When we speak of free software, a frequent confusion is to think that a certain software should be free of charge (mainly because in English, there is only one word for free [as in liberty] and free [as in free of charge]). This is not always the case and some companies sell Open Source software (and associated services), such as Red Hat selling Red Hat Enterprise Linux.

Open Source

In 1998, the "Open Source Definition" was written by the American author Bruce Perens and others. Its aim was to describe the technical properties of free software and to be used as the founding text of the Open Source Movement.

The "Definition of Open Source" is itself derived from the "Debian Free Software Guidelines", which in turn, is derived from the four freedoms mentioned above. Consequently, the three definitions all describe the same license, the "GNU General Public License" (GPL). The GPL is the basis of all definitions.

The Open Source movement aims to be a marketing programme for Free Software. The programme deliberately ignores all philosophical and political aspects as it considers these aspects to be harmful to marketing.

On the other hand, the Free Software movement considers philosophy / ethics and politics as an essential part of the movement and one of its cornerstones.

Why use free (GIS) software?

Financial / economic reasons:

  • Reduced cost of ownership (acquisition, licensing, hardware)
  • Less dependence on commercial software vendors
  • Lack of vendor monopoly leads to more choice, more competition and better products
  • Money spent on Open Source services usually ends up in the local economy

Technical reasons:

  • Security (lack of viruses, spyware, malware) through openness and the principle of "many eyes"
  • Based on open standards
  • Data formats are open and well documented and can therefore be considered persistent
  • Ability to customise the software
  • Reduced barriers to market entry

Social / educational reasons:

  • The same programs can be used in schools / colleges and at home without any additional cost
  • Freedom to study and further develop the inner workings of the software
  • Reduction of the digital divide (through lack of licensing costs and a reduced requirement for powerful computers)