user: How does Free and Open Source Software differ from Closed Source software? Please explain to me why (or if) it is important for society.

assistant: Free and Open Source (FOSS) software is released under the premise that it is truly free, in the sense that it is both free-of-charge to use and that the source code is freely available to view, modify, and compile. This means that the likelihood of any hidden malicious or unwanted behaviour is drastically reduced, since it is trivially easy to detect and remove such unwanted behaviour. Open-source projects are often maintained by groups of volunteers in their spare time, which means that the project is unlikely to be discontinued, as long as there is interest in it. On top of this, open-source software is often "forked", or cloned into other software, which allows for improvements to be made separately or for the software to be used as a template for other software. For example, a lot of popular web browsers, such as Opera, Vivaldi, Microsoft Edge, and Google Chrome are forks of the Chromium web browser, which is open-source. Firefox also has several clones, such as Kiwi Browser and LibreWolf. 

Unlike open-source software, the source code of proprietary software is not available to the user. This means that hidden functionality such as telemetry and malware could be hidden inside the program. However, this allows for the developers to sell the software. (Although, there is some open-source software that is not free-of-charge).

The difference between open-source and proprietary software is an important distinction to make, since the two philosophies are fundamentally different and seek to achieve different goals. However, the most popular software in the world is still proprietary software, although some open-source projects dominate specific niche use-cases, such as Linux in servers.

user: How significant is open-source to our society?

assistant: Open-source software and the open-source movement have had a significant impact on society. Here are a few reasons why:

* Accessibility: Open-source software is often free and available for anyone to use, modify, and distribute. This means that people who might not otherwise be able to afford proprietary software can access powerful tools to help them achieve their goals.

* Collaboration: The open-source model allows people from all over the world to work together on a project. This collaboration can lead to better and more innovative software, as well as greater transparency and accountability.

* Innovation: Open-source software has been the basis for many new technologies and innovations, including cloud computing, big data, and blockchain.

* Education: Open-source software can be a valuable tool for teaching and learning. Students and educators can access and modify the code, which can help them better understand how software works and how it can be improved.

* Social impact: Open-source software has been used to create technologies that have a positive impact on society, such as healthcare software, disaster response tools, and educational platforms.

Overall, open-source software and the open-source movement have democratized access to technology, promoted collaboration and innovation, and had a positive impact on society.