I thought about how to define “open source” expression without any technical terms or difficult and specific definitions, to explain it in a way an ordinary computer user can understand it, so let's start with what does “source” even mean?? (“source” is short for “source code”).
Computer programs are made by programmers, specialists who have programming skills and knows computers languages, so they use their knowledge to write the source code of a program, this source code is then transformed to machine language which the computer can understand and executes the commands in it, those commands constructs the program.
So as you can see the script written in a computer language is named "source code".
Let’s get to the next word in the expression which is "open", the first thing that comes to your mind - or at least my mind - whenever you hear it, is there was something closed then it opened or when you hear "open source" then you think there must be "close source".
The source code of a program is usually closed like a sealed black box you cannot see what is inside of it, you can't even peek a look from one of its sides because obviously they are all black and of course you cannot open its seal. It is this way so the company which created this program can profit from it, I know you are thinking the program isn't for free so the company can benefit from selling it but to keep profiting from it, the company must keep the source code closed so no one else can take it and use it to create the program, sell it, or distribute it for free.
Back to “open source” I think you got it now (at least I hope).
The closed black box is now open and you can see everything, it’s very clear and easy to understand what have been keep locked inside of it but not all black boxes are opened only open source programs are, means that you can have these programs’ lines of code for free, also you can have these programs without spending any money at all. You would think now that “open source” is freedom you don’t have just the source code but you can change it, add to it, modify it, and redistribute it. Another major point to mention is that open source have license so you are free to do with it whatever you want but under its license, means do anything to it which doesn’t violate any of its agreement terms.
In the end, open source programs are an opportunity to programmers (specialists or amateurs) to help people by creating and maintaining free programs for the public but at the same time their work is acknowledged.
Computer programs are made by programmers, specialists who have programming skills and knows computers languages, so they use their knowledge to write the source code of a program, this source code is then transformed to machine language which the computer can understand and executes the commands in it, those commands constructs the program.
So as you can see the script written in a computer language is named "source code".
Let’s get to the next word in the expression which is "open", the first thing that comes to your mind - or at least my mind - whenever you hear it, is there was something closed then it opened or when you hear "open source" then you think there must be "close source".
The source code of a program is usually closed like a sealed black box you cannot see what is inside of it, you can't even peek a look from one of its sides because obviously they are all black and of course you cannot open its seal. It is this way so the company which created this program can profit from it, I know you are thinking the program isn't for free so the company can benefit from selling it but to keep profiting from it, the company must keep the source code closed so no one else can take it and use it to create the program, sell it, or distribute it for free.
Back to “open source” I think you got it now (at least I hope).
The closed black box is now open and you can see everything, it’s very clear and easy to understand what have been keep locked inside of it but not all black boxes are opened only open source programs are, means that you can have these programs’ lines of code for free, also you can have these programs without spending any money at all. You would think now that “open source” is freedom you don’t have just the source code but you can change it, add to it, modify it, and redistribute it. Another major point to mention is that open source have license so you are free to do with it whatever you want but under its license, means do anything to it which doesn’t violate any of its agreement terms.
In the end, open source programs are an opportunity to programmers (specialists or amateurs) to help people by creating and maintaining free programs for the public but at the same time their work is acknowledged.
