Open source is a term used to describe software that is distributed freely to the public with its original source code made available for customization and modifications. Think of open source software like a chef who makes their recipe available to anyone who wants it. You can use that recipe (software) for what it was originally designed for and the food (application) would be just fine. But, you can also make adjustments, modifications, and additions to that recipe (software) so that it aligns better with your taste.
Many people are hesitant to use open source software because they believe that it lacks support – after all, who would want to build software that they give away freely? While this might be the case for some open source software, it certainly isn’t the case for content management systems (CMS).
Some of the most powerful and dynamic content management systems on the web are open source. For instance, Joomla is an open source CMS that has 63 million downloads. Drupal is another CMS that has 2,000 free website themes. WordPress, easily the most popular open source CMS, has 45,000 free plugins for different website applications.
Open source content management systems make life easier for businesses looking to launch a website or developers looking for accessible solutions for user applications. They’re intuitive, secure, and best of all, free or almost free.
Another benefit to using an open source content management system is the community and support. Open source developers support their code for far longer than closed source software. This is helpful for people on a shoestring budget who can’t afford to constantly purchase new software. And if the original developer isn’t available, there’s usually one out there that can take a look at the code to figure out what needs changing. Eliminated is the fight to get a closed source developer to update their code or release it to the world at large when the developer stops supporting its software.
The open source CMS community is available 24/7 via support forums, social media, or other platforms like YouTube. The support and community surrounding many popular CMS platforms make it easy for anyone to work with the source code.
So are you looking to add or switch your content management system? If so, you should strongly consider using an open source CMS instead of trying to develop a closed CMS internally. The benefits far outweigh the risk for most websites. If you’d like to learn more about the three most popular open source CMS platforms, you can find more information in the infographic below.
Open Source CMS Platforms: Infographic
Any Comments?
Are you a fan of open sourced software? Do you have any positive or negative experiences to share? Can you offer any advice to would be open sourcers? Please comment, below.
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