I was busy checking the rear view mirror because Big Mike was in the backseat having a fit of the fear–all twisting his arms and legs while foaming at the mouth. He kept saying something about squirrels.

The question finally registered and I go, “Oh, it’s just a way to streamline your computer needs with superior software at zero cost to you.”

T-Dog stopped firing and got this look of awe, “So, you’re saying I can increase the productivity and viability of my business, work less hours for more money, and it’s completely free and @$!#, holmes? Tell me more!”

So the following is the precise thing I told him:

 What Open Source Is

Open source is not a thing–it’s a concept. In the simplest of terms, it is free software that you can download and use, and it’s often better than the commercial software.

The more in-depth idea is that open source is a concept of freedom. It allows people to create software and upload it for others to edit, download, use, and give back. It’s a community thing. One person makes a game and uploads it to the server under the GPL (GNU Public License), and another hundred people like the game and want to work on it, so they do–for free. Afterwards, about 10 people will stick with the project long-term and keep making updates. Eventually, this game is better than anything else on the market because you have the whole world working on it because they want to.

Now, you as an end user can download this awesome game for free. Now, swap game for office utilities, graphics manipulation software, and even your operating system! GNU and Linux (the OS) are very closely tied together, so when you use Linux instead of Windows, all of your software is free (including Linux). Imagine not having to drop a large sum of money to get the newest version of your favorite photo editing software. Why? Just download GIMP. GNU Image Manipulation Program. You can download enough stuff to make it better than commercial solutions. Check out Open Office–it’s a complete office suite that blows MSOffice out of the water.

The first thing people usually ask me is: Can I have a cookie? I say no. Then, they ask: Well, can open source software save in Windows formats? I say, emphatically, YES!!! Usually, I’m grabbing them by the head and screaming it into their ear–but I have bad days as well. One of the common features of open source software is that it can run on several platforms (Linux, Mac, Windows) and save in file formats for all of them–and then some! You can open anything and save as anything generally.

Open source is more than software–it goes deeper than that. Open source applies to writers in forms like free eBook libraries like the Gutenberg Project. You can do research without having to pay for it. It applies to programmers with source code they can use as frameworks to speed up the coding process. There’s an open source lifestyle for everyone.

The one thing you have to remember, though,  is that if you use source code, public domain graphics (another open source lifestyle element), or research from a free eBook, you have to give credit where it is due. Don’t just copy-paste solutions and claim it’s all you. You have to change it up (more than the wording) so that it is original to you until you can claim credit. That’s not bad though. Eventually, if you get caught up in this you will be releasing solutions to the open source market, so you’ll want credit for your work.

It’s called giving back to the community which has helped you. Offer to do what’s in your abilities. That way, everyone profits.

When you have spare time, Google “open source” and then the kind of software you need. You’ll be surprised to see how much there is!

At the time of this writing, Fernando’s profile headline reads “Linux Administrator, PHP/Java Developer, MySQL/Networking Servers”. While it clearly sums up his many skills, I think that the title doesn’t do his skills justice.

In the world of business marketing, there is a focus on something called the Unique Selling Proposition; that is, the thing you offer that makes you different from your competition (you can read more about the Unique Selling Proposition on Wikipedia if you like). Freelancers need to adopt the same mindset.

In Fernando’s case, there are many other providers advertising the same or similar lists of skills. Most of them are listing them in the same manner. Somehow he needs to set himself apart from the crowd.

Here’s what I’d recommend: pick just one or two skills to focus on, and think like a journalist to write a compelling headline.

Which skills to pick? Well, there are a couple of different approaches that might work well:

1. Be a big fish in a small pond. Look for an area with less competition where you can really stand out. For Fernando, this might be Linux Server Administration; there are significantly fewer providers in that area than, say, PHP or Java programming.
2. Consider your preferences. Undoubtedly there are some types of work you find more enjoyable than others. Focus on the one or two you like best, and let other providers do the work you don’t like as well. In Fernando’s case, it sounds like he likes the server work best (based on his Objective).
3. Look at what has worked for you in the past. Are there areas where you’ve been more successful getting work? It may or may not be on oDesk, so consider your previous work, too. Looking at Fernando’s work history and feedback, he’s found success in several areas, so I’d fall back to the other methods to pick a specialization.

Once you know which area you want to focus on, you want to write a compelling, benefits-driven headline. Remember that the buyer is looking for someone to solve a problem, so use your headline to present a solution.

If Fernando decided to focus on Linux Server Administration, his headline might be something like “End server nightmares: Linux Server Administrator with 10 year of experience” or “Expert Linux Server Administrator: I’ll help you grow your business”.

Then use your Objective section to expand on the promise of your headline.

Obviously I’ve spent a lot of space talking about the headline, because that’s my primary recommendation for Fernando. I’ll focus more on other areas of the profile in future reviews, so to wrap this one up, let me just provide a quick list of the stronger and weaker parts of the rest of Fernando’s profile.

Stronger:

• Profile portrait is friendly and encourages trust
• Accurate assessment of English skills (for non-writing assignments, I’ll gladly hire someone with 3 or 4 out of 5, as long as they’re honest about it)
• Several assignments and good feedback are very encouraging for a buyer
• Most sections of the profile are filled out, which suggests that Fernando is serious about getting work

Weaker:

• The portfolio section is empty; it could be used to describe and link to previous work
• In the resume section, there are many web addresses listed but most of them aren’t actual links; this is inconvenient for the buyer
• Test scores could be better (and low test scores can be hidden); it might be time to re-take some of the tests or hide low scores
• It might be worth hiring a native-English-speaking editor (on oDesk!) to help polish the headline, objective, and resume sections

I hope you’ve found this profile review helpful! I welcome your feedback in the comments, and if you’re an oDesk provider, I encourage you to submit your profile for review.