Definition
FOSS stands for "Free and Open Source Software". “Free software” means software that respects users' freedom and community. Roughly, it means that the users have the freedom to run, copy, distribute, study, change, and improve the software.
Although most FOSS is not paid, "Free" here does not mean free as in "not paid" but as in freedom/liberty.
Most of the time, free software is not developed by corporations. It is generally developed by independent entities such as hobbyists, non-profits, and volunteers.
Why FOSS Matters
Proprietary software is often controlled by a single entity that has the absolute authority over the said software. Your phone is controlled by its manufacturer, a social media site is controlled by its owner, and so on.
Since the late 90s, software has become an inseparable part of our lives. We communicate through software, utilize it to make our daily lives easier, and we get our news using software.
And because technology interacts with our daily lives so much, people who control it can easily gain control over our daily lives, too. This includes how a person thinks, shops, behaves, and much more.
What is Open Source
Computer programs are first written in human-readable programming languages. This is called the source code. This language can only be understood by humans and cannot be run by computers.
For the program to be runnable on a computer. It must undergo a process known as compilation. Compilation is a one-way process that converts the source code to a binary. A binary cannot be converted back to source code. Binaries can be run on computers but they cannot be (practically) understood by humans.
Most of the time, corporations only ship the binary for the program and don't give you the source code to prevent you from modifying the program and understand how it works.
This way, the original author (the corporation) is basically a dictator who has the ultimate authority over the software. And this is exactly why enshittification occurs in the software world.
As a side note, some very talented people can -with massive amounts of effort- convert parts of binary back to source code. This is called reverse engineering.
Tired of Hostility?
So... Are you tired of:
- technocrats trying to gain control over the world
- ads getting shoved down your throat
- companies removing features you liked
- subscription prices increasing
Then welcome abroad!
