Free, as in Open Source

The idea of open source software(and beer now, I guess), has always interested me. I find it strange that companies are willing to release all the information involved in the creation of a product in order to allow users to manipulate and improve the code(or, ingredients). It is cool that not only are companies successful in this idea, but they also have very few problems with people trying to hurt their product. We hear stories of all these big-name software companies having issues with people hacking loopholes in their products, yet their code is PRIVATE. Then we see these open-source products and they have practically no problems with hackers even though their code is PUBLIC.

Maybe it's because there are more people who are able to stop the hackers, since everyone has access... or maybe it's because hackers feel like its too easy; either way, open-source seems to be gaining momentum in all kinds of ways and I like it.