Event 06
Date: 16th September 2025
Proprietary Software vs. FOSS
Overview
Our recent FOSS Club event featured an insightful seminar on the topic of Proprietary vs. FOSS. The session provided a comprehensive overview of the open-source software ecosystem and gave participants a clear understanding of the core differences and philosophies behind both types of software.
The seminar explored several key topics. It started by defining FOSS, explaining it as “free as in freedom” to use, modify, and distribute software, not just free of cost. The session then contrasted the advantages and disadvantages of both proprietary and FOSS software, highlighting that while proprietary software can be bloated and closed-source, FOSS is often lightweight, customizable, and more transparent. Finally, the seminar provided specific comparisons across different categories, including operating systems like Windows vs. Linux, programming languages such as MATLAB vs. Python, and productivity tools like MS Office vs. LibreOffice, to give a practical perspective on the topics covered.
