I know some of my readers are just as geeky as I am (if not moreso!), but many of you aren’t. Maybe you don’t know what all this fuss is about over Open Source software, or why it matters, or why it might be a good idea even for your business or home. Most people outside the tech business world probably don’t understand any of this, and that’s not surprising.

Fortunately, the Economist is running this piece, which paints a pretty fair picture of why OS software is appealing to businesses and government, and why proprietary (i.e., closed) software is seen as undesirable in some contexts no matter what the cost. In no small part, it has to to with control and flexibility: if you’re using OS, you’re free to do as you please with your software. If you’re tied to a vendor, then that vendor’s business plan will start dictating your own business plan. It’s not a long piece, so its coverage is limited, but it’s as fine a rundown for the lay person as I’ve seen yet.