= 101 Reasons to use FOSS = There are definitely a lot of reasons why we use FOSS / Systems, that's why we are creating this list to help spreading the words to the mass public. It's always an on-going list please feel free to add yours. If you find good source / reference article of benefits explaining some points, please help to link to the relevant points as well. 1. [[http://www.fsf.org/working-together/|Freedom matters! (freedom to create, share, invent, collaborate, learn and modify)]] 1. [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_software|Free of cost (not always but you always have choice)]] [[http://www.linux.org.au/linux#CostNothing|why?]] 1. Lots of choice, not only what to use but also how to use it 1. No vendor lock in 1. FOSS encourages open standards (odt, png ..) 1. Fewer viruses (for Linux systems) 1. It's the best way to [[http://www.whylinuxisbetter.net/items/warez/index.php?lang=|avoid piracy]] 1. Everybody can [[http://www.oss-watch.ac.uk/resources/beginners.xml#body.1_div.4|try]] and play 1. Promotes transparency and accountability, you (can) know what you are installing and using 1. [[http://www.fsf.org/working-together/control/|Free software gives you back control over your computer]] 1. Lots of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_software_community|community]] support, you can even get to talk to the people who developed the software 1. Cross-platform 1. [[http://www.oss-watch.ac.uk/resources/openinnov.xml|Foster real innovation and creativity]] 1. Promotes honesty as there are lots of honest quality referees 1. Fights monopoly 1. Promotes free market competition and creates lots of business opportunities 1. Keen competition helping to keep things move forward 1. It doesn't belong to any company, it belongs to us 1. Brings together people from all over the world 1. The most powerful way to build software as anybody can join in 1. Has passionate communities full of passionate people 1. Rewards skill, ingenuity and willingness to learn 1. An outcome of cooperation and collaboration 1. It succeeds on its own merits – even marketing cannot save crappy software 1. It doesn't exclude anybody and its door is always open 1. Lots of free tutorials you to learn from 1. It accommodates everybody, from beginner to expert, from children to elder 1. It promotes knowledge sharing and allows everybody to learn from each other 1. It encourages easy customization, as we don't believe one product suits everybody 1. It doesn't sacrifice quality as there is no deadline – developers keep working until their product is perfect 1. [[http://blog.internetnews.com/skerner/2010/07/why-nasa-uses-open-source-and.html|NASA uses FOSS]] as it allows them to do things on a massive scale at little cost 1. [[http://www.linux.org.au/linux#i18n|You are free to localize it and share it with your country]] (esp. for those countries that companies believe they are not profitable for sales) 1. GNU/Linux systems are famous for [[http://www.linux.org.au/linux#Useful|reliability and stability]] 1. Governments choose FOSS for its high level of security 1. Eye candy e.g. 3D Desktop - [[http://www.compiz.org/|Compiz Fusion]] 1. Derivative works allow people to package software so that it interacts more seamlessly 1. Provides cheap and accessible platforms to prototype new ideas 1. Reduces the gap between software "producers" and "consumers" This page content is Licensed under Creative Commons License, please feel free to use, share and modify it. References: * http://www.whylinuxisbetter.net/ * http://makethemove.net/ * http://www.oss-watch.ac.uk/ * http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/FLOSS_Concept_Booklet