open source
A method and philosophy for software licensing and distribution designed to encourage use and
improvement of software written by volunteers by ensuring that
anyone can copy the {source code} and modify it freely.
The term "open source" is now more widely used than the
earlier term "{free software}" (promoted by the {Free Software
Foundation}) but has broadly the same meaning - free of
distribution restrictions, not necessarily free of charge.
There are various {open source licenses} available.
Programmers can choose an appropriate license to use when
distributing their programs.
The {Open Source Initiative} promotes the {Open Source
Definition}.
{The Cathedral and the Bazaar
(http://www.tuxedo.org/~esr/writings/cathedral-bazaar/cathedral-bazaar.