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Home » Computers And Internet Articles » Non Profit And Open Source Collaboration

Non Profit and Open Source Collaboration

Open source is a software license for products developed by groups of individuals who want to collaborate to achieve a common goal. New projects are started daily within the open source community. A developer may need the functionality of a specific piece of software for his website. But in reluctance to buy the software, and the obvious need to develop it himself (most often for a client)he will find other developers who need the same functionality. They will then as a team begin developing the new software with an Open Source license. All the members of the team benefit from the experiences and work of the others. The development community as a whole then benefits from this new creation. Members of the development team will often come and go as they work on their own projects and careers, but very quickly the new software will often develop further. New improvements, upgrades, and bug fixes will result from the group effort, and as long as there is a need for the software, it will continue to evolve.

Fortune 500 companies such as Novel have seen the power of the open source development model and have latched on as a result. Novel for instance develops a product called SUSE Linux. Now you may have heard the term Linux from some tech head, most people still don't know what it is. Linux is an Operating System like Windows or Mac OS. The difference is that Linux is developed Open Source and is light years ahead of microsoft when it comes to functionality, stability, and security. The website your reading now is probably hosted on a computer running Linux. Most of the internet is hosted on machines that use Linux.

Back to the story, SUSE is Novel's version of Linux. They work with the open source community and help to develop a very good version of Linux. The software receives fortune 500 level testing and development, and the open source community benefits as a whole. Novel then offers its SUSE for free as a download, or you can purchase support from novel while using its product and receive a DVD with the software. Novel sells a lot of SUSE, and the open source community benefits by working with such a reputable and stable company.

So now that you understand what open source is, it may be dawning on you how it fits with the Non-Profit community.

Open Source is for the benefit of the community as a whole. No one person makes all of the profit from the product, but thousands of people make a living helping people save money using open source products.

Non Profits are similar in that they have a community vision or mission that does not directly correspond to a bottom line. Unlike Microsoft, who does help the community by developing the economy. Open Source and Non-Profit ventures directly impact the community by their very nature.

Open Source is a viable option for Non Profit organizations.

And here is another random article you might be interested in...

Your Credit Rating

Not many people spend too much time thinking about it, but every one of us, has a computer file somewhere that contains all the information that makes up our credit history. This information will include our current and previous addresses, our income level, our outstanding debt and how much extra credit we currently have available to us. It will also show things like our repayment habits, whether or not we pay bills on time and if we have had any county court judgments made against us for payment.

Checks

It will be made available to companies who wish to see it for a fee and it is surprising how many different types of companies now routinely make use of such reports. There was a time when only banks and other lenders used credit reports when deciding whether or not to give you a loan. However, these days, if you are for example thinking of renting a property, it is likely that the property agency will require a credit check in order to satisfy itself that you will pay your rent on time. Insurance companies also make heavy use of credit reports when assessing insurance premiums. Even large employers are now using credit reports to screen job applicants when they assess candidates.

Therefore, it can be seen that your credit rating can have a huge influence over you and your life. It can effect many important decisions that you might never have thought would be relevant to your credit history. For instance, you may not have been too worried about leaving an old phone bill unpaid after moving house, but the consequences can be quite serious.

Tips for Keeping a Healthy Credit Rating

There are some steps you can take to make sure your credit rating stays as healthy as possible. You can for instance pay your bills on time and reduce the amount of outstanding debt you have. You should also know that time is on your side because most negative elements on the report will not last forever.

You have a right to view your credit report and this is generally a good idea as it allows you to make sure it is accurate. If there is any negative information on the report that is in error you can have it amended or corrected. The credit reporting company has a duty to keep all information accurate and up to date. It can make a big difference so you should always inform the reporting company of errors promptly and give them the correct information.