Table of Contents
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The 4 Opens
The #dotcons can not be fixed.
The #fashionistas who keep flocking to new “ethical-ish” ones are a problem, not a solution.
The #4opens are a simple way to judge the value of an “alt/grassroots” tech project.
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Open data – is the basic part of a project https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_data with out this open they cannot work.
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Open source – as in “free software” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_software this keeps development healthy by increasing interconnectedness and bringing in serendipity. The Open licences are the “lock” that keep the first two in place, what we have isn’t perfect but they do expand the area of “trust” that a project needs to work, creative commons is a start here.
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Open “industrial” standards – this is a little understood but core open, it’s what the open internet and WWW are built from. Here is an outline https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_standard
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Open process – this is the most “nebulous” part, examples of the work flow would be wikis and activity streams. Projects are built on linking trust networks so open process is the “glue” that binds the links together. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Process
Solidarity
It’s easy to become a 4 Opens project and join the openweb family. Just show that your project fulfils 2 or more of the above "opens".
- 2 opens - Bronze badge
- 3 opens - Silver badge
- 4 opens - Gold badge