The illustration “Open Source and Free” by John LeMasney is a conceptual piece made with the vector graphic editor Inkscape, showcasing a comparison between the terms “open source” and “free” within the context of software and intellectual property. The image is structured around two prominent heart-shaped icons placed side by side against a split background with two shades of teal.
On the left is a heart outlined in a beige tone, segmented into two halves, with the left side appearing as a flat color and the right side shaded to give a sense of depth. Within this heart, an iconic open padlock is integrated, its top half fitting perfectly into the heart’s cleft, suggesting that open source is about openness and unlocking content for examination, modification, and sharing.
On the right side, a vivid red heart contains a keyhole, signifying something that is locked or requires a key to unlock—representing the notion of “free” as in “free access” rather than “freedom to modify.” The red color here is traditionally associated with passion or cost, which might imply the fervor of the free software movement or the hidden costs associated with “free” as in “gratis” rather than “libre.”
Below the two hearts is the text “open source and free do not mean the same thing at all” in a simple sans-serif font. The text is white, creating a stark contrast against the darker background, ensuring its readability and emphasizing the message.
This juxtaposition visually articulates the conceptual difference between “open source” and “free” in software. “Open source” refers to making the source code available for anyone to inspect, modify, and distribute. “Free,” in this context, could refer to free of charge or to “free software,” which emphasizes the user’s freedom to run, copy, distribute, study, change, and improve the software.
The design is minimalist yet meaningful, using visual metaphors to distinguish between two philosophies often conflated in software distribution model discussions. Using hearts conveys a sense of passion and value that the creator attributes to these concepts.
This content is published under the Attribution 3.0 Unported license.
Hear, hear! I agree with this whole heartedly!
Thanks, Syllie!
I found your blog through a comment on HeathenX’s blog. I like what you have to say here. The difference is important. I’d like to mention that with Internet Explorer, you often do pay for it. The licensing fees that Microsoft charges computer manufacturers for putting Windows (including IE) on the machines gets passed on to the customer.
Agreed Daniel — IE’s really not free at all, but people certainly think it is. Now Firefox, there’s an application.