I've long been really interested in the idea of open source technology. It seems to have so much potential for leveling the playing field and bringing the power of computing into the hands of the individual. For those of you unfamiliar with the concept, check out opensource.org. They have an excellent definition and a lot of other great info. The really short definition is that open source software's code is developed by the community. The code is open to anybody and anybody who can program can improve upon that code and software. Open source software is free to the user and covers just about any area of computing you can imagine. Some major examples are the Firefox internet browser, Drupal website content management system (used for ALD's website) and Open Office, which is basically the free and open source equivalent of Microsoft Office.
One intriguing open source program is Ubuntu. It's a whole operating system like Windows 7 but of course, it's free. I'm planning on experimenting by using it on my outdated (2 years old) and totally uncool netbook, which currently runs the Windows 7 starter edition. Once I finally download Ubuntu and start using it I'll try to send updates on how it works and if it's worth the hassle.
I also really like the potential of open source as a tool for library patrons who have computers and that might not be able to afford the latest edition of Microsoft Office or Windows 7. These programs' open source equivalents are often comparable in quality, they're continually being improved by the community and they're free!
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