There is a philosophy of community behind open-source web development. This philosophy is the software development model that birthed Drupal. The concept of open-source web development has allowed thousands of end users to work with code created by others without the expense of corporate software packages.

The benefits of collaboration are enormous. Open-source is about sharing ideas. Involved developers share the load in the creation of new software, and one of the most obvious benefits is speed. The process moves along faster and developers receive quick feedback from users. This methodology allows even small businesses to compete and advertise worldwide. The shared development process permits these small companies to gain the type of exposure only large corporations were once capable of.

Open source web development has led to the birth of online communities where individuals can create personal spaces. The process has helped many non-profit organizations make more functional, creative and appealing websites. Open source web development resources share common programming and content materials with varying degrees of license. This open licensing for fair use of materials and programs benefits the website creators who consequently can generate affordable exposure for many types of groups and businesses.

The idea behind open source websites began with the idea of free culture markets where programs alone were shared without cost between all members of a specific community or on an open forum. The difference between a strictly free culture community and an open source community is that free culture developed solely to provide intellectual materials where open source communities took that idea and ran with it further to provide all types of development materials. The types of web development materials available includes code but also freely shared images, video and written content. Add-on modules such as forums, chat rooms, and shopping carts are also available in many open source communities.

The Internet has made these things possible where no other media has ever been able to. It allows personal and business websites to reach global audiences and the free market enterprise system to attain its truest form. The open source web development model also provides genuine peer to peer collaboration and feedback, allowing program developers, artists, and other creative individuals to hone their craft and make important improvements, steps that were once relegated to sole experimentation, or inner-corporate exchanges. Such an open atmosphere of development and sharing allows expansion at an unprecedented speed that benefits everyone involved.