Week 11 - Open Source Software

This week we learned about open source software and the advantages that it offers. Open source software is free and available to the general public. It can also be modified by users, which is why it is constantly changing and getting better. Gimp is a free program that offers features much like those of Photoshop. However, Photoshop is a very expensive program only available for purchase from the manufacturer. I think more people would use the free alternatives if they knew about them. I had never really heard about open source programs before this class and I think once it catches on, people will begin using them more, as well as continue to make them better.

Open source software can impact the advertising industry in the tools we use to create ads as well as the experience students get before they enter the industry. For example, as a student I didn't have much experience in Photoshop or InDesign, the standard programs of the industry, because I never had the money to purchase them. My first introduction to the programs was in my upper-level advertising classes, and could only access them in the labs. This led to me being very inexperienced and learning at the same time I was trying to create my projects. However, I feel that if I would have known about free programs such as Gimp, I could have downloaded them on my personal computer and became familiar with them before those classes. This could have led to me producing better quality work, and in turn having more experience once I graduate.

I decided to incorporate this video as an outside resource because it shows all of the features available on Gimp and a tutorial on how to use it. I hope that more people find out about these free programs and use them more.