OSS/FS - Open Source Software / Free Software

A standard issued by the Open Source Initiative (OSI) where the source code of a program is available to the public free of charge. The rationale for this movement is that a larger group of programmers not concerned with proprietary ownership or financial gain will produce a more useful and bug-free product.

Usually, a small group of concerned developers takes charge of managing the evolution of a particular product. These developers sift through various bug reports, suggested corrections, and suggested enhancements provided by the public. The managing developers then decide which bug corrections and enhancements are worthwhile and distribute a new version of the code.

OSS software allows for much faster product evolution than with commercial software. OSS software also provides better security since vulnerabilities within the code are easily exposed and thus are quickly eliminated. Please visit www.opensource.org for more info.