Why This Marketer Uses Open Source Software
Long before I became a marketer, I was a web developer. It was during this time that I discovered open source software. (For the uninitiated, open source makes its code available for others to change, is usually free, and covers a myriad of categories.) So, why would a marketer care about this? Most probably wouldn't and would likelt be happy sticking with the standard offerings from Adobe, Microsoft, or Apple. However, as I still have a hand in tactical marketing work, I need software that allows me to mock up landing pages, edit videos, or work on a presentation - without having to pick between “Team Windows” or “Team MacOS”... or be burdened with making a case to IT for why I needed one type of laptop, if the company was standardized on the other. (Consider this: Sun Microsystems did not allow use of Microsoft products, and its own lawyers made a successful case to exempt the legal department because they needed Microsoft Office.) This may seem trivial, but the reality is that I couldn’t successfully do my job as a marketer because a lot of my last mile work is dependent on the availability of open source software.
Software Alternatives
People who know me will typically ask, “So, if you’re not using Photoshop, what do you use?” I tell them I use Gimp. Adobe has had the budget to build brand awareness and adoption, but it’s not that much older than Gimp (1990 vs. 1998). I now use Gimp for designing ads, creating graphic assets for web & social, developing video & webinar slates, mocking up landing pages, and editing photos. For video, I use KdenLive; I particularly like this example because there’s already a clear divide between “Team Adobe Premiere Pro” and “Team Final Cut Pro” (MacOS). Like Gimp, KdenLive is available for a variety of platforms including Windows, MacOS, and Linux. I’ve used KdenLive to edit webinar videos, develop product videos, and I even prepped a commercial for distribution on Hulu’s online ad network. A few more examples: Audacity for audio editing, LibreOffice instead of Microsoft Office, and the VLC media player. There are many more examples which can be found by visiting opensourcealternative.to.
Business and Productivity Benefits
For me, two benefits came from using open source software: 1) cost savings and 2) portability. With regard to cost savings, I’m referring to time and money. With open source software, I no longer have to budget for licensing of x seats or make a case for why we should purchase certain software (barring any security requirements). Does Jane or Juan need to use this software? Sure - go download, scan, and install it. Done. A two-week startup process turns into 30mins. And that’s not even counting the time needed to maintain credit cards for subscription services or the bottlenecks created when only a few people have access to commercial software. The point about portability branches into two areas: ubiquity and devices. In addition to being available on multiple operating systems, open source software can also exist across devices, including mobile phones, tablets, and even calculators. For example, my previous colleagues could tell you that I would go on business trips with just my mobile phone and foldable keyboard, in lieu of a laptop. Open source software allowed me to take my work on-the-go, with little, if any, limitations.
Getting Help
Open source software doesn’t come without its own hurdles. The most cited example is the lack of support, which is not entirely accurate. Commercial software will typically have chat or email support as part of the purchase, and more complex agreements have account managers supporting SLAs. Compare this with open source software that has communities that you can ask for help. Furthermore, many existing questions and answers are only a Google search away - the openness of dialogue is part of the open source culture. (Unless the commercial company maintains an excellent knowledge base or detailed FAQ, the public generally doesn’t have access to ticket dialogue.) Even with these communities, there’s no guarantee that you’ll get a response to your question, although with mature open source software, you usually will get help from the developer(s) or other users. Some may balk at this, but many of us marketers already live in this type of world; e.g., if you use Google products, you really can’t reach a human for help unless you pay into a specific product like Google Ads - you’re otherwise left to (that’s right) Googling for an answer. The same goes for open source software. (For the more technical folks, they’ll just make their own updates to the software.)
Choosing Open Source Software
As a marketer (whether it be with my brand, digital, or strategy hats on), I need robust software that I can depend on. When selecting open source software, I first look at its maturity: how long it’s been around can be a great indicator of how much adoption and community support that it has. Comparatively, open source software released in the last few weeks (regardless of its amazing offerings) runs the risk of having a short life. Next, I look for its availability across Windows, MacOS, and Linux; it’s an added plus if it’s available for iOS and Android. If so, then I know I can invest my time in learning the software now without having to relearn something else later. Best of all, I can jump between these operating systems freely because I know my files will work. This also includes the more technical open source solutions; Microsoft’s IIS is only built for Windows, but Apache comparatively runs across multiple platforms. Finally, I look at usability - even if it’s ubiquitous and mature, it needs to be stable and intuitive so I can be as productive as possible. If it frequently breaks (i.e., crashes) or is overly complex, I can’t use it. Fortunately, this has been a rare occurrence for me since I’ve found open source software to be incredibly stable.
Closing Thoughts
I started this open source journey during my days at Sun Microsystems. As soon as I learned that I could run Windows software on non-Windows systems using Wine, the possibilities for productivity opened up - especially when I learned that Disney had contributed to Photoshop running on Linux. Since this time, web-based alternatives like Canva and Google Docs have made a mark as well as innovations like Shutterstock’s AI image generator; I also imagine that Adobe’s Creative Cloud was branded as such for a long-game strategy that involves moving their products completely online. While I have used some of these online products, I’m still not completely bought into the always connected software requirement - especially if I need to get work done, but don’t have access to WiFi (another plus of many open source alternatives is that they run locally). This would explain why we have companies like Valve using Linux as the basis of their Steam Deck because (as many would surmise) it provides the flexibility to customize the underlying open source software and doesn’t require a connection to the internet to work. As a marketer (and as a self-proclaimed Linux guy), I continue to work productively with open source software - especially as I get busier. I’d rather spend more time on strategy and brand development than get bogged down with technical incompatibilities or red tape.
For readers wanting to learn more about open source software, I recommend trying an application of interest at home. If it helps you there, it can probably help you in your work life. In trying this, you have nothing to lose and only knowledge to gain.
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