So what is this open source software that everybody's talking about?! The basic underlying principle of open source is "share and share alike". The underlying principle of open source is the idea of being able to build on the innovation of others - just like the "scientific method". For the past thousand years, scientists the world over in their search of a true understanding of our world have published their work for all to see. In doing so, they allow their peers to test and build on their ideas. As Unfortunately, in the past 200 years this spirit of sharing

Software isn't something magical and rare like a diamond - it's just another form of information, not a "thing" that can be stolen. Depending on the terms of its It can be quoted and copied like the text of a book or sampled and remixed like a sound recording. Like a baking recipe, it can be copied and shared, and doing so doesn't take anything away from the person or people who created the recipe - they can still use it, and moreover, they even get credit for originating it thanks to the laws of copyright which apply. The important thing, though, is that the recipe is free, and not just in terms of cost: it is available for others to try, improve, and use in ways its originators might never have considered.

To use the recipe, someone still has

Open source software is free of license costs.

The open source software approach is the exact opposite to the way that proprietary software companies like Adobe and Microsoft, do things. We at Egressive believe that by providing businesses and organisations in New Zealand