May 13, 2004 | Read Time: 1 minute
The Nonprofit Open Source Initiative has released a new guide, “Choosing and Using Open Source Software: A Primer for Nonprofits,” to help charity managers and technology-assistance providers use open-source software effectively.
Open-source software gives users access to the “source code” of an application, which allows organizations to make changes or enhancements to fit their needs. Developers of such software encourage users to modify the programs and to share them with others.
In the new guide, the Nonprofit Open Source Initiative outlines case studies of how different nonprofit groups use open-source software.
For example, Greenpeace and the Community Resource Exchange, in New York, use the open-source operating system called Linux for some of their e-mail and server needs. The software guide says that, while Linux isn’t yet as user-friendly as other systems, it is more stable and secure, not as susceptible to viruses or worms, and less expensive than proprietary systems.
The guide also provides definitions of open-source and proprietary software, and gives tips on how to find support for open-source software.
The IBM International Foundation provided a $24,000 grant to pay for the software guide.
To get there: Go to http://www.nosi.net.
