Open source developers are individuals who create and maintain software that is freely available for anyone to use, modify, and distribute. They often collaborate in online communities, sharing their code and ideas to improve software projects. This collaborative approach fosters innovation and allows developers to learn from one another. These developers typically work on projects hosted on platforms like GitHub or GitLab, where they can track changes and contributions. Open source software can range from small utilities to large systems like Linux or Apache, and it plays a crucial role in the technology ecosystem by promoting transparency and accessibility.