My Introduction to FOSS
Published by Alfie Evans on July 11, 2020 in FOSS
Reading time: ~8 mins.
The story of one man’s journey down the road to software freedom.
Hello, everyone.
My name is Alfie Evans, and I have been a subcontractor for numerous freight companies throughout the last twenty years, and this is my story about how I was recently introduced to free and open-source software (FOSS), including how it has changed my perspective on the development of computer programs and why I think that it will ultimately and inevitably change the way in which the commercial industry conducts business in general.
While my particular line of work does not predominantly involve the use of electronic devices or the operation of computer software given that my job is to transport commercial cargo from large warehouses to big product vendors and service suppliers across the country, technology has invariably crept into virtually every area of employment in some form or another, and my field of expertise is no exception in that regard.
Over the years, I have witnessed the gradual and subtle introduction and implementation of new technologies in my specific field of endeavour, with this uptake steadily increasing in the form of a rising surge over the past five years due to the progressive push for more administrative procedures and services to be conducted and facilitated online in a bid to reduce the manual workload involving the processing and handling of information.
For example, self-driving trucks, while not currently commonplace, are slowly being integrated into the courier profession, and I am fairly confident that by 2030, a notable portion of cargo deliveries will be carried out by driverless wagons, plus these unmanned vehicles, as they indubitably save freight companies exorbitant amounts of money, will unquestionably render a significant number of people redundant in the process, leaving many of them without a vocation and searching for another career to sustain themselves financially.
Cost, as has already been mentioned, is a major factor in this ongoing push to automate workflows via digital mechanisms, and as a result of the direction that the industry I work in is headed, I have been encouraged to embrace this digitalisation by adopting new electronic methods that require the utilisation of computer applications.
The first piece of software that I was compelled to learn was Microsoft Word so that I could complete my timesheets and submit them by email after subcontracting for a freight company that had transitioned to a digital shift management system to schedule and predict the working hours of employees.
This system is said to streamline courier deliveries so that less workers arrive at the depot to find that there is no truck for them to drive, which is still a somewhat common occurrence for other freight companies.
The second piece of software that I was impelled to learn was Microsoft Excel in order to keep a digital record of the number of hours that I had worked so that I could electronically submit this information to the manager of the freight company as a processable invoice due to them changing their payroll procedure.
A lot of freight companies have adopted this digital payment process, forcing many subcontractors to acclimate by incorporating new technologies into their skillset so as to be able to receive recompense for their work.
Approximately one month ago, I was discussing with a friend of mine how tedious and inefficient I was finding the whole affair of repetitively entering data column by column, row by row into spreadsheets for the purpose of obtaining my paycheques, and they mentioned to me that there was a better alternative that could do a more effective job of recording my employment hours in the form of a program called GnuCash.
He told me that it was free and open-source software, prompting me to ask him what that exactly meant.
He then explained to me that free and open-source software is computer software that is legally available to download gratis from the Internet and that the code comprising the software is also available to download in a manner that permits people worldwide to inspect, modify, and enhance that code however they see fit, giving them the ability and the means to contribute their efforts back to the developers of that software for the benefit of everyone.
Despite this being an unfamiliar notion, I did not deem it perplexing, but it did intrigue me.
We deliberated over the topic further, leading to him installing GnuCash onto my machine, along with a copy of LibreOffice after he expressed that it offered a better user experience (UX) and was much newer than my old copy of Microsoft Office 2007, which I have admittedly been using since 2008 and have not been bothered to update to a later version since I first bought my computer.
Within a few hours, he had taught me how to create a detailed invoice of my work hours using GnuCash and had constructed a fillable timesheet form for me to fill out using LibreOffice Writer.
Suffice it to say, I was extremely impressed by how powerful and capable this software, which I did not pay for, demonstrated itself to be, and after realising that I did not have to pay for any updates, I was metaphorically sold.
This made me ponder the following question: what other software of mine, which I have paid for in the past, could I replace with modern and libre alternatives?
I then remembered that I had an old copy of Paint Shop Pro 7, which was released by Jasc Software some two decades ago, installed on my machine, so I decided to search for a free and open-source alternative on the Web that would be a sufficient substitute for the rudimentary task of adding decorative borders around pictures of my pet dog Django, which concluded with me discovering a program called the GNU Image Manipulation Program (GIMP).
Despite the multitude of advanced features and sophisticated functionality of GIMP, I quickly learned the basic fundamentals of the provided toolset and was successfully able to compose a simple border around a digital image.
This sizeable triumph felt incredibly empowering and convinced me to see what else I could do.
Another piece of software that I decided to transition to, out of personal frustration, was Mozilla Thunderbird (colloquially known as Thunderbird) from Microsoft Outlook 2007, as I have been using various incarnations of Outlook (such as Outlook Express) for over seventeen years, and despite me having stuck with this popular email client for so long, I have never found it to be greatly intuitive or especially comfortable to use, with its graphical user interface (GUI) being unnecessarily cumbersome and archaic.
I read some tutorials online concerning how to migrate from my old email client to my new one, and after some initial headaches pertaining to the exporting and importing of my old information, I immediately began to reap the benefits of a faster, cleaner, and more elegant GUI, including a more stable application in general.
I was utterly amazed by the magnitude of difference that had manifested in a number of practical ways as a consequence of my decision to migrate away from my existing programs to newer and superior alternatives.
These improvements had optimised my workflow and increased my desire to treat my computer as more than just a tool to get work done but as a means to create new content and to explore my artistic side in a manner that I had never previously imagined.
This groundbreaking change in perspective had given me a delightful opportunity to delve into aspects of my creative psyche that I felt as thought I had no prior ability to unlock.
I knew that this was simply the start of my expedition down a long and inspiring road.
After engaging in additional experimentation with these new-found applications and being remunerated with some impressive outcomes, I turned my attention to familiarising myself more with the nature of the FOSS ecosystem and how it works as a development model.
Still being quite unrefined in much of this area, I began reading information published by the Free Software Foundation (FSF), the Open Source Initiative (OSI), the Apache Software Foundation (ASF), and the Creative Commons (CC).
The documentation constructed and assembled by these organisations gave me a far more thorough and meticulous understanding of precisely what the free software movement (FSM) is all about and why it exists as a concept.
Even now, as I write this article, I find it very difficult to convey how remarkably strange it is to grasp so suddenly an idea that only a short time ago, I had no knowledge was even a reality, for this has all entranced my mind so swiftly and unexpectedly, putting me into a state of unfettered admiration and awe with regard to the colossal size of this amazing spectacle.
Composing into words what I have latterly assimilated is giving me a wonderful chance to reflect on how much this has altered my perception of those who choose to commit themselves to developing computer applications and what it means to the free software community at large that these individuals, who are mostly doing so as hobbyists and volunteers, wish to sacrifice their precious and irreclaimable time to making exemplary programs that help to enrich the lives of others, without asking to receive anything in return or imposing royalties of any kind.
This freshly acquired insight has also made me really appreciate the tremendous volume of work that goes into making this computer software and has made me highly respect the innate value behind the efforts underpinning these phenomenal accomplishments, with these honourable deeds deserving to be recognised for the prestige that they demand.
In a world where almost everything comes with a price tag affixed to it, coming across such a selfless and noble collaboration, orchestrated by a deeply passionate and driven community, was immensely enlightening and invigorating for me, and the fact that there are no strings attached only adds credence to the work that is being done by all those who are looking to share their genius on a universal and indiscriminate basis.
Never before had I witnessed something so profound that was not under the monolithic control of a single individual or corporate entity yet possessed the capacity to rival offerings from Fortune 500 software businesses that have enormous capital at their disposal and a profusion of resources to command.
This decentralised model surrounding software development has not only proven itself to be pragmatically viable but relaid the foundation economically regarding what is attainable in a production environment unconstrained by borders, politics, or other social structures, completely redefining the viewpoint that software engineering is a financially expensive undertaking and fundamentally altering the attitude toward the software industry as a whole.
This journey has opened my eyes to the astonishing fact that it is due to the ambitious vision of a large group of hugely adroit and devoted people that there is such a prolific and diverse landscape blooming with a plethora of rich and polished software projects that do not cease to ripen or mature gracefully with age.
With this in mind, I vehemently intend to try out as many FOSS programs as I can get my hands on, and having recently been told about the existence of a free and open-source operating system (OS) called Linux, I impassionedly wish to broaden my awareness with respect to what this unfamiliar OS can do and to see where that trail will lead me on my adventure into the exciting unknown.
I look forward to expanding my horizons even further and investing a considerable amount of time into reaching a point where I am in a position to fluently and articulately teach others about the inherent advantages of FOSS products and the notable savings that they unequivocally bring with them.
May this initial discovery of virtual gems be merely the beginning of a fruitful and prosperous journey full of educational experiences and productive ventures in my quest to make extensive use of these proficient tools in ways that I previously could never have envisaged or believed possible.
Wish me luck.
