Open Source software, such as AbiWord, is freely licensed for widespread, unrestricted usage and distribution, including source code. While the concept has been in use for well over a decade, the recent ubiquity of Internet access has provided a means for rapid, widespread distribution of free software. Unhindered by legal restrictions, Open Source software programs can reach a massive base of users much faster than their more traditional, proprietary counterparts.
The Open Source community has quietly produced some of the most widely-used software in the world, including Apache, the most popular Web server on the Internet, and Linux, a popular full-featured Open Source operating system.
For more information, visit the OpenSource.Org website.