Open Sourcing and the Freedom of Information

For people that haven't heard of Linux and Unix based operating systems, Wikipedia was a huge eye-opener for people that were unaware of open-source content. Wikipedia was founded under the principle that information should be free, reliable, and easily available to everyone. In Unix operating systems, the core distribution can be easily modified by programmers and redistributed freely. In Wikipedia, anyone who wishes to can add, delete, or modify articles, however many articles are moderated by volunteers, who are responsible for reversing any spam changes or changes that may lead to false information. Academia has constantly berated Wikipedia for being unreliable, but as the number of moderators increases, the quality and reliability of articles increase. As more people begin to trust Wikipedia's accuracy, maybe Academia will begin to trust open-source content such as Wikipedia articles .

One of the most prominent open vs. closed source battles occurring today is the Apple vs. Android argument. Apple chooses to lock down their iOS platform so nothing that Apple directly approves of can be released into the App Store. Android, however, is based on the open-source Linux kernel, so, for the most part, everyone is free to modify their Android devices as they please. Google often encourages third party developers to modify Android devices, who then write custom firmware distributions, known as ROMs, for Android users to install once they gain superuser privileges by rooting. However, within the Android platform, some device manufacturers disagree that users should be able to run custom ROMS, notably Motorola, and they have thus encrypted their phones. After a large and constant outcry from Motorola Android users, Motorola finally reversed their policy on custom firmware. Open source content, when used appropriately, can be hugely beneficial, as the content is often free and users tend to appreciate the freedom given to them.