Open Source vs. Proprietary: A Question of Audiences

Proprietary software has, for the most part, dominated the software market, but under it all the open source community has grown and matured. Open source software presents an attractive option for those familiar with software development, but for the rest of (and the majority of) the population of computer users, having to deal with the unfamiliarity of the open source community presents a significant obstacle. Support and ease of use are important for new technology users, and while open source technology has been improving in these areas, this has been one of proprietary software's main selling points. Thus, in order for open source technologies to catch on to the general public, the open source community will have to broaden its target audience to not just other programmers, but to potential non-tech-savvy consumers as well.