Jason Everritt

According to the National Day Calendar, February is Free & Open Source Software (FOSS) Month. Open source (OS) software can be a fantastic resource for non-profit organizations that need technology, just as a for-profit business does, but often have fewer resources to pay for expensive solutions. So, what is an open source software? You probably already use some of the most popular open source packages without even realizing it. 1. WordPress (blogging and website design) 2. Firefox (internet browser) 3. Android (mobile device operating system) These are all open source software. OS software developers (aka the copyright holders) make the source code available to anyone to view or edit. The software or app is also free for anyone to use, copy, or give away. OS software is often developed in a public collaboration. For example, if you click on About Firefox in the browser's Help menu, you will see that the Firefox internet browser "is designed by Mozilla, a