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| author | Paul Buetow <paul@buetow.org> | 2023-03-03 12:25:43 +0200 |
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| committer | Paul Buetow <paul@buetow.org> | 2023-03-03 12:25:43 +0200 |
| commit | 47a53e3a86ed2e04a66763e926c79009062ee35f (patch) | |
| tree | b737b3da8b80000b4b6da291e92a007f63881b2d /gemfeed/2021-08-01-on-being-pedantic-about-open-source.html | |
| parent | c833bc37912341ba7fabf761da7773e5e11f79bf (diff) | |
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| -rw-r--r-- | gemfeed/2021-08-01-on-being-pedantic-about-open-source.html | 4 |
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diff --git a/gemfeed/2021-08-01-on-being-pedantic-about-open-source.html b/gemfeed/2021-08-01-on-being-pedantic-about-open-source.html index 86539a42..ef898a0e 100644 --- a/gemfeed/2021-08-01-on-being-pedantic-about-open-source.html +++ b/gemfeed/2021-08-01-on-being-pedantic-about-open-source.html @@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ <p>Security bugs in open-source projects are exposed to the public and fixed quickly, while we don't know exactly what happens to security bugs in closed-source ones. Still, hackers and security specialists can find them through reverse engineering and penetration testing. Overall, thinking of security, In my opinion it is still better to prefer open-source software because the more significant the project, the higher the probability that security bugs are found and fixed as more parties are looking into it. Furthermore, provided you have the necessary resources, you could still deduct an audit by yourself. The latter especially happens when companies with its own security and penetration testing departments are evaluating the use of open-source. This is something not every company can afford though.</p> <h2>Always watch out for open-source alternatives</h2> <p>Do you need Microsoft Word? Why don't you just use the Vim text editor or GNU Emacs to write your letters? If that's too nerdy, you can still use open-source alternatives such as AbiWord or LibreOffice. Larger organizations have the tendency to standardize the software their employees have to use. Unfortunately, as Microsoft Word is the de-facto standard text processing program, most companies prefer Word over LibreOffice. Same with Microsoft Excel vs LibreOffice Calc or other spreadsheet alternatives like Gnumeric. I don't know why that is; please....</p> -<p>E-Mail your comments to paul at buetow dot org! :-)</p> +<p>E-Mail your comments to hi@paul.cyou :-)</p> <p>I only use free and open-source operating systems on my personal Laptops, Desktop PCs and servers (FreeBSD and Linux based ones). Most of the programs and apps I use on them are free and open-source as well, and I am comfortable with it for over twenty years. Exceptions are the BIOSes and some firmwares of my devices. I also use Skype as most of my friends and family are using it. They are, unfortunately, proprietary software still. But I will be looking into Matrix as a Skype alternative when I have time. There are also open BIOS alternatives, but they usually don't work on my devices.</p> <h2>What about mobile?</h2> <p class="quote"><i>Update 2023-01-21: Check out my newer post about GrapheneOS, which solves some of my dilemmas</i></p> @@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ <h2>Conclusion</h2> <p>Should you be pedantic about open-source software? It depends. It depends on your fundamental values and how much time you are ready to invest. Open-source software is not just free as in money, but also free as in freedom. You will gain back complete control of your personal data. Unfortunately, installing ready proprietary apps from the Play Store is much more convenient than building up a trustworthy open-source-based infrastructure by yourself. As a guideline, use proprietary software and services with caution. Be mindful about your choices and where you leave your digital fingerprints. In doubt, think less is more. Do you really need this new shiny app? What benefit does it provide to you? Probably you don't really need that shiny new app.</p> <p>You have better chances when you know how to manage your own server and install and manage alternatives to the big cloud providers by yourself. I have the advantage that I have work experience as a Linux Systems Administrator here. I mentioned NextCloud already. I use NextCloud for online photo and file storage, contact and calendar sync and as an RSS news feed server. You could do the same with your own E-Mail server, you can also host your own website and blog. I also mentioned Matrix as a Skype alternative (which could also be an alternative to WhatsApp, Skype, Telegram, Viber, ...). I don't know a lot about Matrix yet, but it seems to be a very neat alternative. I am ready to invest time in it as one of my future personal pet projects. Not only because I think it's better, but also because for fun and as a hobby. But this doesn't mean that I invest *all* of my personal free time in it.</p> -<p>E-Mail your comments to paul at buetow dot org! :-)</p> +<p>E-Mail your comments to hi@paul.cyou :-)</p> <a class="textlink" href="../">Go back to the main site</a><br /> <p class="footer"> Generated with <a href="https://codeberg.org/snonux/gemtexter">Gemtexter</a> | |
