Open-source: So Much More Than Just Software and Freebies

Typically, when you see or hear the words "open-source," what's the first thing that comes to mind? For many, "open-source" is synonymous with "free software," but in reality, it's so much more than that: it's a movement; a chance to improve lives; a chance for success; a total lifestyle change. In this article, I hope to shed some light on what open-source really is -- and more importantly -- why everyone should care about it, or at least be aware of it.

To start, how would you like to raise $10 million to fund production of a project that was birthed out of work freely provided by people who seek only to fuel imagination? Figuratively speaking, your success -- whatever that might be for you -- is their success, too. Well, just a couple of months ago, this very thing happened via Kickstarter to a small team of individuals seeking to create a watch that interfaces with iPhones. They sought $100,000 in funding for production, but instead, ended up raising a whopping $10,000,000: Not a bad return on something based on freely-available technology, huh?...