Personal Opportunity
Free and Open Source - Free software is software that grants everyone permission to use, study, copy, modify and/or distribute the software. Users, individually or collectively, are free to do whatever they want with it - this includes the freedom to sell it. Learn more about Free and Open Source software.
There is no doubt that free and open source software is a major force in technology today and that it is positioned to continue to have a significant role. The economic impact is in the billions of dollars annually and there are countless initiatives in technology, government, business and education.
The broad use of open source and it's availability creates significant opportunity to learn and use the software for the individual. The fact that everyone has access to the software utilized by all these institutions represents significant opportunity for career growth and business development.
Understanding open source provides employment and entrepreneurial opportunities in all business sectors because almost every sector uses it. Every sector utilizes computers and software and everyone is potentially a developer, administrator, manager or business owner for this technology.
Every student will not go into technology but every student should be aware of this opportunity. The availability of the source code (patents) and copyrights for open source provide instructions and rights to some of the most significant inventions of our time. Having access to study, use, modify and sale the programs and protocols that drive the Internet is unparalleled.
This is an opportunity that should not be wasted or ignored.
Get Started
If you want to learn more about Open Source, you will find links to useful sites, documentation and additional information on Open Source and Linux commands at the following urls: What is Open Source, What is Linux, Linux Commands and Concepts, Useful Programs.
You don't have to be a programmer or work in computers in order to leverage Open Source. The technical skills needed to provide support for you or your project are widely available. Consultants can assist you to get online, reduce the costs for your business and/or develop a product or service.
Financial Opportunity
Personal Opportunity - Free software gives you access to billions of dollars of software at no cost. Use this software for your business, personal use or to develop a profitable skill. Access to source code provides access to a level of capabilities/information that companies protect though copyrights. Open source is a core component of the Internet and it is available to you. Leverage the billions of dollars in resources and capabilities to build a career, establish a business or change the world. The potential is endless for those who understand the opportunity.
Business Opportunity - Goldman Sachs, IBM and countless large corporations are leveraging open source to reduce costs, develop products and increase their bottom lines. Learn what these companies know about open source and how open source can give you the advantage.
U.S. Government - On January 20 2009, President Obama's first day in office, the Open Government initiative was issued to provide transparency and access to Government data. Learn how our Government is using open source and the opportunities this provides for you. Leverage Use open Government data or
Free Books
The Free Books Library is a collection of thousands of the most popular public domain books in an online readable format. The collection includes great classical literature and more recent works where the U.S. copyright has expired. These books are yours to read and use without restrictions.
The Library of History by Diodorus the Sicilian is one of the most highly regarded universal histories in antiquities. His work includes the history of Egypt, Asia, Africa, Greece and Europe. His book is a must read for research of ancient history.
The Histories of Herodotus written in 440 BC is considered to be the founding work of history in Western literature. His history included stories and fables but he claimed to have traveled extensively and learned about many countries through direct observation.
The thesis of Stolen Legacy is that the Egyptians created what is wrongly called Greek philosophy. Dr. James argues that the African origin of Greek Philosophy is well known but rarely discussed. Ancient Greek historians such as Herodotus and Diodorus the Sicilian wrote in significant detail about the contributions of Egypt. Egyptian technology and libraries were unmatched and Greek philosophers such as Pythagoras and Plato studied there. The contribution of Africa to the intellectual foundation of modern knowledge is tremendous but unacknowledged.
Bible Study The King James Bible (kjv), World English Bible (web) and Bible in Basic English (bbe) are all examples of public domain books. The King James Bible (kjv) online uses the content from these books and open source software to enhance Bible study capabilities. The site includes the verse of the day, search tools, christian literature and links to related content. It demonstrates the use of open source to create a valuable service.
Free Software
Free Software provides computer programs and capabilities at no cost but more importantly, it provides the freedom to run, edit, contribute to, and share the software. The importance of free software is a matter of access, not price. Software at no cost is a benefit but ownership rights to the software and source code is far more significant.
Free Office Software - The Libre Office suite provides top desktop productivity tools for free. This includes, a word processor, spreadsheet, presentation engine, drawing and flowcharting, database and math applications. Libre Office is available for Linux or Windows.
Linux is an open source computer operating system (OS) used on laptops, games, watches and super computers. The software and the source code used for Linux are both available to you at no cost. Use this powerful resource to your advantage.
Source Code - Want to change a program or know how it works? Open Source provides the source code for its programs so that anyone can use, modify or learn how to write those programs themselves. Visit the GNU source code repositories to download the source.
Educational Materials
Study at Harvard, Stanford or MIT - Open edX provides free online courses from Harvard, MIT, Columbia, UC Berkeley and other top Universities. Hundreds of courses for almost all major subjects and course levels. Open edx also offers some paid courses and selected certifications.
Linux Manual Pages - A man or manual page is a form of software documentation found on Linux/Unix operating systems. Topics covered include computer programs (including library and system calls), formal standards and conventions, and even abstract concepts.
