Topic 7 - Ethical, Legal And Environmental Issues Flashcards
What is open source software?
a model of software development which allows permitted use of its source code
What are open source projects ?
projects where the source code used to create the project is made publicly available.
Anyone can legally view, modify and distribute the source code
What are the pros of open source software ?
Open source software is usually free.
Open source software is maintained by a large community of contributors.
Open source software encourages collaboration.
Open source software encourages rapid development.
What are the cons of open source software ?
Open source software usually provides no warranty or guarantee.
Smaller projects may not receive regular updates.
Official customer support may not be available
What is proprietary software also known as ?
closed source software
What is proprietary software ?
Proprietary software is software where the source code is not available to people outside of the organisation.
When buying proprietary software you do not own the software, but have only bought a license to use it.
Modifying, copying, or redistributing the software is illegal.
What are the pros of proprietary software ?
Proprietary software comes with a warranty or guarantee.
Proprietary software often has customer support.
Proprietary software should be thoroughly tested and reliable.
Proprietary software is usually easier to install and use for the average user.
What are the cons of proprietary software ?
Proprietary software’s source code is not available, so cannot be fixed or modified by users.
Proprietary software might not do exactly what you want it to do.
Proprietary software can be expensive.
Proprietary software’s older versions may not be maintained.
If you wish to use a piece of proprietary software, what would you do?
Buy the license to use the software
