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Open Source Technology

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Practicality for all software to be distributed as open-source software
Open-source software is computer software whose source code is available to the general
public for use or modification. Through the available open-source code, other developers can
modify the software in a manner that fits their purpose. The primary idea behind open source
was software development through a collaboration of various programmers and engineers. There
have been arguments on why open source software is warranted. Open-source software is a
technology that allows sharing of knowledge to enable the entire community to benefit from
collective innovation (Ciesielska & Westenholz, 2016). Collaboration in the early days of
computer development involved a lot of information sharing. However, as software began to be a
business, the idea of sharing everything began to fell out of favour. The opposite of open-source
software is licensed software, which is distributed under licensing agreements to authorized users
only. There is a debate on whether open-source software technology should be the default way of
distributing software.
Various factors demonstrate similarities and differences between the two software
technologies concerning practicality in comparing open source and proprietary software. Firstly,
security issues are one element that raises a concern on whether all software can be distributed
through open source. Open-source software is not developed in a controlled environment. Many
people raise security concerns over sharing software on the open-source platform. The
developers involved in the open-source software are situated around the globe. This element
often lacks continuity and shared direction that could be applied in counteracting effective
collaboration and communication (Shahrivar et al., 2018). The software is not always subjected
to peer review or validation. Therefore, a developer may potentially implant a backdoor Trojan
to the software without the user's knowledge.

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Conversely, proprietary software is perceived to be a more secure option. Unlike opensource software, the software is developed in a controlled environment by a dedicated and
focused team. The teams are the only individuals designated to view and edit the source code.
Such measures mean that the product is heavily audited, thus minimizing the risk of developing
backdoor Trojan (Dhir & Dhir, 2017). The security concern associated with open source
software is a predicament that raises concerns over sharing software using open source
technology. Since the security of open source technology cannot be guaranteed, it is difficult to
consider it as the channel of distributing all software.
Secondly, the availability of support teams is another matter that makes it hard for all
software to be shared through open source technology. For evolvement of open source software,
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