Two weeks ago, Amy Clark wrote that an open-source model can — and should — be applied to scientific research in the pharmaceutical industry. Using insights from Ashoka Fellow Stephen Friend, she showed that open-source science would eliminate redundant efforts and fast-track lifesaving drugs.
Open-source software development methods — whose success stories include Linux, Firefox, WordPress, Drupal and OpenOffice — are based on the simple idea that source code should be available for anyone to freely use, redistribute and modify.
In one common analogy, open source experts compare code to a favorite recipe shared among friends and family. In that example, cooks have the freedom to follow Aunt Mary’s apple pie recipe to the letter, but they can also adapt and improve the recipe before passing it along to friends. Open-source software proponents believe these kinds of tweaks and adjustments serve the common good. (A few audacious entrepreneurs have even taken the recipe analogy literally by open sourcing recipes for cola and beer.)
Open sourcing, no code required
Open sourced software has proven that proprietary ownership often precludes innovation — and that with proper organization and oversight, you can trust the wisdom of the masses. But what does open sourcing look like in health care, government or everyday situations where there is no software code?
The open-source movement has blossomed into a robust philosophy of transparency and collaboration with the potential to transform all industries. In a recent TED talk, Don Tapscott summarized the central components of the philosophy: collaboration, transparency, sharing and empowerment. When hundreds or thousands of “developers” contribute toward a shared purpose, everyone benefits.
Unlike crowdsourcing, which asks crowds to contribute to a single project, open sourcing puts the project in their hands. It works well when cities open their data to the public or when, as in the case of Wikipedia, an open-source software platform supports open-source content. The website Opensource.com shares the ways open sourcing goes "beyond technology," effecting innovation in government, business, education, health care and more. People want to improve their neighborhoods, businesses and communities — they just need to be empowered to access the source of the problems.
As open sourcing carries over to revitalizing America’s cities, there’s a lot to learn from open-source software leaders. What is it like to lead an open-source project? How can open sourcing help entrepreneurs to scale their ventures? How has open sourcing fueled social entrepreneurship? What are the limitations and challenges of open source models?
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Interested in learning more? Join us for a live panel discussion on Thursday, July 26 at 12-1 p.m. EST. Our panel of experts includes Mark Surman of the Mozilla Foundation, Roseanne Haggerty of Community Solutions, Phillip Schmidt of Peer 2 Peer University, and Keith Hammonds of Ashoka’s News and Knowledge Initiative. Tweet questions to @ashokaus with the hashtag #impactchat and listen in by phone or with Webex.
