1. TAYAO, Ada Marie S. 2008 – 16167 EDUC190 Homework Sir Noel Feria July 9, 2010
Open Source Software – Opening Possibilities
Prior to watching “Revolution OS,” my take on operating systems was that aside from Mac,
Windows was the best (lately I’ve viewed Mac as better than Windows). When I was in high school, we
discussed other operating systems, and one of them was Linux. Since I was unfamiliar with it, I never
really had a hands-on experience with it and I knew that it was free, I didn’t consider Linux as a
“superior” operating system. “Revolution OS” helped me to see otherwise. It was in this documentary that
I saw how Linux came to be. Apart from the journey of Linux’s development, what really struck me were
the disadvantages that came with using proprietary software. I never thought about how much Windows
limited my computer-related work in the sense that we users had to adjust to the programs every time they
made changes. I remember having such a difficult time adjusting to the newest version of Microsoft Word
after years of “fluently” using the previous version. I guess I never took it as a negative thing because I
assumed it was to improve the program and make it easier for the users. I’m not implying that Windows
is a “demon company.” It’s been a big aid in my requirements for school. However, having been exposed
to the BIG world of open source software, buying expensive software or pirating them starts to become
more of an inconvenience rather than a necessity. I do acknowledge and I think that programmers deserve
to earn from their hard work in software development, but what is good about open source software is that
it has been developed and improved through the cooperation of its users. Watching the documentary has
made me more sensitive to my attachments in the e-mail (before I thought that the document file of
Microsoft Word was the standard file type). I shouldn’t assume that everyone uses the same program.
“Revolution OS” has also opened my eyes to the world of possibilities in using open source software.
There is now so much open software available that I am eager to explore them, especially since I’ve been
looking for a good audio editing software with many useful features, but with a user-friendly interface.
I’m also excited to install the Ubuntu operating system in our computer and laptop. I was never a
computer-software-explorer type of person mainly because some viruses in the internet are masked as
freeware. Now that I am more knowledgeable on open source software, I think I’ll give it another go.