Whether you’ve noticed it or not, open-source has shaped the world that we live in significant ways. It has become a part of our lives and the way we live and some of us don’t even notice it.

Open-source began in 1998 as a method to rebrand free software into something more ethical. These programs are now known as free to download and open or available to anyone to edit.

But why is this so important and how has it impacted our world?

Let’s find out, shall we?

Open Source Runs the Cloud

One of the most important technologies today is cloud computing. But did you know that it is based on the open-source system? Indeed it is!

Many people are departing away from local apps on desktops and are turning towards the ones that you can access through your browser. The sties that you are accessing are located on a different computer or a server and are the product of an open-source system.

Open-source operating systems are popular options for servers and computers that are intended for remote access.

The Web Has Become More Accessible

Open source has made it largely available and accessible for anyone to create their own websites. Open-source software makes it a lot easier and cheaper and the only costs you will have is paying for the domain name and hosting.

Platforms like WordPress have made the possibility of creating a site online much efficient and now anyone can do it. You just need some training and proper knowledge.

However, additional knowledge of a programming language like HTML could prove to be useful. Either way, all of it is possible through the existence of open source.

Open-Source Enabled the Usage of Smartphones

At some point, companies decided that it would be much better for their business dealings to simply create a system based on an existing one. It saves time and money than creating it from scratch. Thus Android, one of the world’s most popular OSs, is based in Linux, another popular open-source system.

But you should understand that while the operating system of these smartphones is an open one, the interface for it is closed. It would require modification for it to be completely open. But the point that we are trying to prove is that the existence of smartphones in the form that we have them today wouldn’t be possible without open source.

Top Supercomputers Run Linux

It is fascinating to learn that some of the most powerful supercomputers in the world run on Linux. These machines have to calculate an insane amount of data and crunch the numbers in record time. Supercomputers are what helps us determine situations that are happening in mere instances and also allow us to run simulations so as not to endanger human lives or the environment for certain tests.

The reason why Supercomputers use an open-source system is that everyone is free to use the components given as they wish, which wouldn’t be possible with a closed type of software. They can use them, change them and make various additions that are necessary. This happens without having to pay for it or check with anybody to do it. All of this is made available through the existence of the open-source system.