In 2003, I made a decision that changed my approach to  software and productivity forever.  I downloaded Firebird (now Firefox) 0.7, and I discovered Open Source software. I was quickly blown away by the shear quality of the application, the speed of development, and the innovative features that were not only being developed by the core developers but by the community at large as well. For the first time in my life as a power user of computer software, I realized that I had a voice and could play a role in the life of my favorite software.

Since then, I’ve converted totally to the Linux operating system on all of my home computers, and even most of my mobile devices.

Why I Use Open Tools on the Desktop
No operating system is perfect, and none of the many Linux variants are an exception to this rule. That being said, attempting to use open source apps at every opportunity has afforded me the following benefits:

• Use of a world-class operating system with truly innovative productivity features (tabbed file browsing, multiple workspaces, central application repositories), totally for free.

• A large selection of high quality, industry standard software that works on all major computing platforms, not just Linux (OpenOffice.org, Firefox, VLC, GIMP, etc). No reason to learn different apps for different platforms!

• Direct communication with developers and user communities. It has really only been in the context of Open Source software that I’ve been able to communicate directly to developers of my favorite apps, and actually have my voice be heard for feature requests. It’s also been uniquely in the Open Source world that I’ve been able to express my gratitude by getting down and dirty and helping with documentation, bug reporting, and actual application development.

• I have unprecedented freedom to help others. It’s so easy to share OSS software, because not only does the quality speak for itself, it’s actually legal  for me to download and share with friends via CD, usb key, or whatever. And they don’t have to buy anything at all to start getting stuff done!

Why I Choose Open Tools on The Web
Although not all the web tools I use are free and open source, per se, it’s important that they use and store the data that I own in ways that allow it to be easily accessible and backed up. Google, for instance, is not primarily an Open Source company, and none of their web apps are open source, as far as I know, but all of my email, calendaring, and contact information is easily accessed in industry standard ways that allow me to keep control over my data.

In the event that Google goes away, I still have all my info in standard, open formats, ready to upload to another open service, or use on my own open desktop. In the context of the web, I think retaining ownership of your data is key.

Join The Conversation!
Alright, I’ve made my case! What do you think? How and why do you choose to use open tools for productivity? Do open tools ever actually let you down? Let’s take the discussion over to the forum!