Other Considerations Besides Open

Note: This section is deprecated. It has been merged with the Open Formats section.

One thing to consider is the availability of an open format. Some open formats are not very widely known, and some might be hesitant to use them, even though there is nothing wrong with them. Additionally, while open source software is free to download, not everyone may want to use a particular open source program. One example might be the GIMP (see the Images program section). GIMP is an image-editing tool that can do many of the things Photoshop can. However, GIMP's user interface is different from Photoshop's, which means it may take a little time to learn. GIMP's user interface also looks less polished than Photoshop's, which tends to give users the impression that program has poor quality.

Another thing to consider is that open source software tends to be "works in progress" and can have bugs. Try using the program a few times to make sure it is stable. If possible, you should also make sure the open source software has all the capabilities necessary. If you are working on a project with other educators, make sure you've talked about which programs and formats you will use before starting.