It’s a beautiful day. Warm rays and a light breeze. You’re waiting at the door of the theater for your sweetheart with a red flower. She arrives, you greet her, give her the flower and she smiles. You both go inside the theater as the play is about to start. The play is going to be a modern adaptation of Shakespeare’s Hamlet. As theater fans, you couldn’t wait. You set down; the lights go off and the play starts. The narrator starts with: “To Open Source or Not to Open Source, that is the question!”.

And then you wake up!

*Enters Nelly*

It was only just a DREAAAAAAAAAAAM.. Or maybe not.
 

What is Open-Source?

Open-source is a source code or product that is freely available for modification and redistribution. It also includes the permission to use the source code, design documents and blueprints.
 

Why Open-Source?

The open-source movement in software began as a response to the limitations of proprietary code. Usually, the code is released under the terms of a software license. Depending on the license terms, others may then download, modify, and publish their version (fork) back to the community. Many experts are emphasizing the importance of open source due to its benefits. These benefits are: 

1. High Security: Open-Source communities consist of a huge number of security specialists who are always fixing security vulnerabilities.
    
2. Low Cost of Implementation and Maintenance: Most of the time, you can deploy the open-source code for free. Add to that the easy process of implementation.
    
3. Large Online Communities: This offers a wide community of experts who offer support for free.
    
4. Freedom of Editing: As a developer, you have the freedom to edit any aspect of the code to suit your needs.
    
5. Quality:  Due to the fact that technology is heading towards the open-source (add to that the large community of developers), the quality of code has increased in open-source communities.
    
6. The Future: Most of today’s technology is based on open-source code. Be it Android apps, cloud computing, or web applications, many of them are being developed based on open-source technologies.

Drupal as an Open-Source Content Management System

Drupal is one of (if not the most) secured open-source content management systems (CMS). It has been in the market for over 20 years. Aside from the fact that Drupal is customer-centric and offers a personalized experience, its community consists of over 1 million users worldwide. This offers a variety of modules, support, and fixes to any issue that arises. 
Some of the features that are offered by Drupal in terms of Open-Source are: 
 

1. As a Drupal developer, you will be able to create your own modules and use other developers’ available modules. 
    
2. You will be secured and protected with a 256-AES (military-level encryption algorithm).
    
3. Drupal is easy to implement and the process of upgrading to newer versions is being smoothened with every new release.
    
4. Large support community.
    
5. Enhanced user experience (UX).
    
6. Low cost of maintenance.

Verdict

The world has changed. While 20 years ago the code was private property, the communities are moving towards sharing the code. This offers a chance for developers to add their touch to what’s already available; giving birth to something new and out of the box. And while many enterprises are still insisting on keeping their code closed-source, it’s only a matter of time before they join the wave.
We pray for tomorrow as we prayed yesterday: What is Open-Source, May Never be Closed Again!