this post was submitted on 07 Apr 2025
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Open-Source is Just That (vale.rocks)
submitted 18 hours ago by excel24@feddit.org to c/technology@lemmy.world
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[–] sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works 2 points 9 hours ago* (last edited 9 hours ago)

It seems like the author is confusing open source with Open Source

No, they made it pretty clear that they do understand it. Here's a relevant quote:

When software is open-source, it is open-source, not necessarily free and open-source (FOSS), and even if it is FOSS, it might still have a restrictive licence[sic]. The code being available in and of itself does not give you a right to take it, modify it, or redistribute it.

  • open source - the definition you linked
  • FOSS - includes free software - wording is wonky here, but I'm pretty sure OP means Free Software here given the italics and whatnot
  • code being available - source available != open source; e.g. Unreal Engine is source available, provided you agree to their terms, but distribution is very limited

They didn't go into depth, which is fine (would've made the post much longer), but I think they did a fair job. A lot of people assume that if they have access to the source, they can do whatever they want with it, which absolutely isn't the case. Read the terms of the license, or at least be familiar w/ the major licenses and how to recognize them.