Week 11 Learning Entry

During week 11, we discussed and examined open source software. Open source software are programs that can be found online and downloaded free of charge. Usually they are very similar to programs that have to be purchased, such as Photoshop. The open source software can be used in replacement of the purchased software allowing companies that can not afford to purchase the software to have a fighting chance against a bigger company.

Open source software can be very helpful in sport management. Although most people believe that anyone who works in the sport world makes a lot of money, it is untrue. Most universities and college operate at a deficit throughout the year. Money is not always available to the smaller schools and would not be able to purchase such expensive software. I think the open source software would help the companies and schools that can not afford the software to still produce services and products of the same caliber as larger schools.

My outside source is an article about the "Economics of Open Software." The article addresses the biggest debate of open source software: should open software be allowed to damage the revenue of the large corporations. It was interesting to find out that the economics of people enjoying free software is more than the economics of the large companies.