Last week I gave you a sneak preview of some high quality free open source software. Today I am going to tell you where you can find over 230,000 different programs in one location. Some of them will rival programs that cost thousands of dollars if you purchase them.

SourceForge.net is the world's largest open source software development web site. They provide free services that help developers build cool stuff and share it with a global audience. As of February, 2009, more than 230,000 projects had been registered to use the services of SourceForge.net by more than 2 million registered users. Tens of thousands of projects have reached completion and moved away from the site or become obsolete over the years. There are currently 161,751 project being developed as I write this article.

As with all software some is excellent and some is poor. Finding the gems can be a challenge with that much digital code to sort through. One way find some top notch programs is let the industry do it for you.

Every year in San Jose California SourceForge.net has it's Community Choice Awards. 2009 was the fouth year members of the SorceForge community honored the best of the best. 47,886 nominations were voted on by 185,218 community members. They selected the best in each of 11 categories and then one program was named Best Project for 2009. In 2008 that honor went to OpenOffice.org, a program I introduced you to last week. Who would be the best of the best for 2009?

PHPAdmin - Best Tool or Utility for Sytem Administration

First award of the evening took the honors in this category for the fourth year in a row. Unless you are a system administrator it probably is of little value to you.

XMind - Best Project for Academia

This mind mapping program is one of my personal favorites. It won the Eclipse Community award in 2008 which is when I first became aware of it. It is awesomelly addictive and once you start using it you can't live without it. Here is a short demo.

PortableApps.com - Most Likely to Change the Way You Do Everything

This program allows you to carry your favorite computer programs and all of your bookmarks, settings, email and more with you on a portable device (USB flash drive, iPod, portable hard drive, CD, etc) and use them on any Windows computer.

Audacity - Best Project for Multimedia

I have never used this program so I can't say much about it. Here is a demo I found on YouTube.

Notepad++ - Best Tool or Utility for Developers

PortableApps.com - Best Visual Design

See above

ScummVM - Best Tool for Gamers

Firebird - Best Project for the Enterprise

This is a robust database program for both individual and commercial use

OpenOffice.org - Best Project for Government

Last years winner of Best Project of 2008 will do everything Microsoft Office will do plus it will make pdf files.

PortableApps.com - Best Commercial Open Source Project

See above

eeebuntu - Best New Project

A feature rich Linux operating system optimized for Netbook

Best Project of 2009

This is the big award of the night. 47,886 applications were nominated by the SorceForge community. 185,218 members voted and this application was named the single Best Project of 2009. Click on this video and see the award presented at the Agenda Lounge in San Jose, California.

I hope you discovered at least one or two applications here you can use. I encourage you to go to SourceForge.net and explore the tens of thousands of free applications they have available. From your favorite hobby to highly sophisticated ERP accounting systems for business there is something for everyone.

I have one more article in this series on technology. I want to leave you with this thought.

We live in a digital world. In a digital world everything can be broken down into either a zero or a one.

Which one do you choose to be?