Week 4- Muddiest Point

I'm doing pretty well so far in understanding the different operating systems and application softwares. Open Source is a little more difficult: If I have an open source software application, do I need to constantly monitor all the adaptations and changes in order to get any future alterations and improvements? Do I need to reload the program in all its new permutations, or can updates be done "automatically"? If I must constantly stay on top, it seems that unless you are a programmer, it might just be easier to go with a package that updates periodically from an online source (the way Adobe and other programs do). Any thoughts?