Leveraging Open SourceThe most vibrant force in today's software landcape is the "open source" movement. If you're interested in learning more about the business case for open source, this document rom the Open Source Initiative is a great start. But you don't have to understand the intricacies of the open source philosophy in order to realize its concrete benefits. The open source products I use as a platform for my custom software cost nothing, are technically robust and continuously improved, can't be abandoned by a controlling manufacturer, connect easily with other open standards, and can be customized without restriction. Their high popularity and easy availability allow maximum flexibility in site hosting. These technologies are in continuous use on millions of sites worldwide. They have been fully embraced by the enterprise market and are relied on by operations as diverse as NASA, Amazon.com, Google, and Apple Computer. Here are some of the open source technologies I have used and continue to use (a representative, not exhaustive, list):
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