Open-source technology refers to a certain type of technology or software which is distributed among the masses with its source code, enabling programmers to change the behavior of an application or program. If a programmer has access to the source code of particular software, he can amend, examine, and made changes to that software by upgrading it with new features or fixing a broken part to increase its efficiency.
The idea of open-source technologies emerged in 1983 when Richard Stallman, a programmer and a researcher at MIT, floated the idea that technology should be open-source. He wanted more freedom for programmers, as he believed that programmers can create better versions of the software and bring revolutionary changes to the technology if they are provided with the source code. This idea led to the creation of the Open Source Initiative, or OSI, in 1998 (Adey, 2021).