From bedf42d40dd317993c26704ea5074e0f4db6a5bc Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Admin Date: Sat, 14 Feb 2026 16:24:42 +0000 Subject: [PATCH] Update Home --- Home.md | 28 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++- 1 file changed, 27 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-) diff --git a/Home.md b/Home.md index 4724291..f7adf4a 100644 --- a/Home.md +++ b/Home.md @@ -1,6 +1,32 @@ # The 4opens -The #dotcons can not be fixed. +The #4opens framework is best understood not as ideology or branding, but as a simple set of engineering heuristics for evaluating whether a project will remain usable, forkable, and resilient over time. + +Most long-lived #FOSS projects already follow some version of these practices implicitly. The value of #4opens is making those assumptions explicit, so people can quickly understand how a project works, who controls it, and whether it will survive beyond its original maintainers or funding cycle. + +In practical terms, the #4opens ask a few straightforward questions: + +* Is the development process visible and reviewable? +* Are data formats and interfaces documented and reusable? +* Can someone else run this independently without permission? +* Are governance and decision-making transparent enough that forks remain viable if needed? + +These aren’t abstract political goals, they’re lessons learned from decades of broken platforms, abandoned repositories, and “open” projects that centralised control. + +For developers and sysadmins, applying the #4opens as a lightweight checklist helps reduce risk: + +* Less lock-in to fragile ecosystems. +* Easier collaboration across projects. +* Better long-term maintainability. +* Clearer expectations for contributors and downstream users. + +A shared registry or index based on these criteria functions much like early open source directories or package repositories - not as gatekeeping, but as a map. Projects could self-declare alignment and provide verifiable signals about openness, interoperability, and governance structure. + +The goal isn’t purity tests or badges for their own sake. It’s about improving signal-to-noise so builders can quickly identify tools that are likely to remain open, portable, and maintainable. + +In a landscape where systems drift toward centralisation and corporate capture, the #4opens simply provide a shorthand for practices that help keep the commons viable, without requiring anyone to agree on ideology. + +**The #dotcons can not be fixed.** The #fashionistas who keep flocking to new “ethical-ish” ones are a problem, not a solution. The #4opens framework provides a set of principles for testing, evaluating and promoting progressive social and tech projects. By adhering to these principles, people and communities support initiatives that prioritize openness, collaboration, and social good. Let's explore how each of the #4opens can be utilized.