([[OpenSource#note2][OpenSource:2]]”[[oss]]”[[OpenSourceIssues#note2][OpenSourceIssues:2]]”[[ToBlog#note2][ToBlog:2]])

Open source allows people to work on an individual basis. Developers
can jumpstart their projects by using existing code, creating software
that answers their own needs and perhaps the needs of a small group of
users that often also contribute improvements. Because the source code
is open, people can easily choose the features they want to include or
make minor modifications to get existing code to behave the way they
want. Open source development promotes personal communication with
users, and user requests can go straight to developers without passing
through marketing. How is this different from other kinds of
user-developer relationships, and is this an advantage open source
developers can use?