After watching the “Installing & Running WordPress: Shared Hosting” LinkedIn Learning course by Jeff Starr I went on an exploration to see what WordPress.org was all about. I found an excellent video workshop by Hari Shanker on the WordPress.org learn page. In his workshop, “Introduction to Open-Source“, Shanker provides a quick and informative overview of the open-source concept, history, and how WordPress.org utilizes the freedoms associated with it.

Quick Introduction to Open-Source Software

Shanker gives a bit of history to open-source and some differences between free software, open-source software, and proprietary software.

Here is a quick reference:

• • Free Software: Free to download, no cost associated with the download.
  • Cannot: modify, view source code, enhance.
  • Proprietary Software: AKA Closed-Software or Commercial Software, generally pay to use, Copyrighted, limitations on use, distribution, and modification – remains the property of owner/creator. (techpedia.com)
  • Open-Source Software: Source code is accessible to view, modify, and enhance by anyone.

The difference between free software and open-source software is one is free from monetary cost and the other is available with freedoms. Shanker mentions Eric Raymond’s publication of The Cathedral and The Bazaar that gives a comparison of the differences. In his breakdown, he says the cathedral is closed and exclusive whereas a Bazaar is an open market that is run by the people. 

Brief History of Open-Source 1998 – Palo Alto, California strategy session initiated after the release of the Netscape (RIP) source code. This was where the term “open-source” was coined by Christine Peterson. Eric Raymond & Bruce Perens founded Open-Source Initiative in an effort to promote “general education and advocacy” to protect the mission of the “open-source” label. They developed a full definition using the Debian Free Software Guidelines as a model. (opensource.org)

Precepts developed by the Open-Source Initiative:

1. 1. Free Redistribution – licenses are not restricted from selling or giving away software either as a whole or an aggregate of multiple software, free of royalty and fees.
   2. Source Code – must be included, and able to distribute, no reproductions costs, and easily modifiable, and preferably free to download from the internet.
   3. Derived Works – License must allow for modifications and be distributed under the same terms as the license.
   4. The integrity of the author’s source code – May restrict source code from being distributed with modifications ONLY if the license allows for distribution of “patch files” with the source code.
   5. No discrimination against persons or groups – Must not discriminate against any persons or groups.
   6. No discrimination against fields of endeavor – Must not restrict anyone from making use of the program in a specific endeavor or field.
   7. Distribution of License – Rights attached to the program must apply to all without the need for additional licenses.
   8. The license must not be specific to a product – Rights attached must not be dependent on the program being a part of another software distribution.
   9. No restrictions to other software – Must not place restrictions on other software that is distributed with the licensed software.
   10. A license must be technology-neutral – License cannot have provisions that may be centered to any individual technology or interface style.

So, what does that have to do with WordPress.org? WordPress.org operates under a GNU General Public License which is “restricted” to the open-source terms that were just defined. It originally began as an abandoned project that was picked up and created as a platform “for the users by the users” through the open-source concepts. Its mission is to support a large community for collaboration and contribution. Shanker highlighted some perks of an open-source platform. He said it’s free to use in most cases, there are no contractual licenses. They do outline rules for sharing. It’s community-driven, available on public forums where experts can offer advice. This is great because there is no window locking, meaning bugs can easily be fixed without waiting on a response from the developer. Last, there is an opportunity to pick up an abandoned project, as WordPress.org started as. With open-source software freedoms are rightfully claimed by the users and developers, collaboration is possible and the potentials for creation are beyond measure.

This chapter is a revised version of a blog post title “Why WordPress.org is actually really awesome” on Mau Does Web Publishing.