Free Software

The free software ecosystem

This graph shows the variety of software that might be considered "free" in some way. Examples we discuss in the panel include:

• WordPress.org and WordPress.com (blogging platform and content management system)
• Moodle (learning management system)
• Firefox (web browser)
• OpenOffice.org (office software: word processing, spreadsheets, and more)
• Drupal (content management system)
• Joomla (content management system)
• Facebook (social networking)
• Twitter (social networking)
• Google Apps (office software) and Google Analytics (web analytics)
• Skype (communications)
• SurveyMonkey (survey tool)
• Wufoo (form builder)

Open Source Software

• Idealware is an excellent source for objective reports on free and low-cost software options. Check out their 2010 report Comparing Open Source Content Management Systems and Field Guide
• Toolkits for taking your organization open source, from the Nonprofit Open Source Initiative.
• Social Source Commons, a place to share about commonly used tools.
• iGetcha.org, a directory of free and low-cost software with a focus on nonprofits.

Advice and Cautionary Tales

• The danger of free (a broader look at free content online)
• Why is it free? A question you should ask of any piece of free software
• In 2010, a cool widget-building called Sprout Builder suddenly moved to an enterprise-only pricing plan. Subscribers had to move quickly to find alternatives.
• Ning, an online community platform, took a similarly sudden turn towards paid accounts in 2010.

The Meaning of "Free"

We like to talk about software as being "free as in kittens".  This phrase is widely attributed to Karen Schneider, but she claims credit is actually due to Eric Lease Morgan. Wherever it came from, it's a great metaphor for the hidden costs that software can impose.