Since 2005 I have been a strong advocate for the development of open source appropriate technology (OSAT). Since then much has happened on this front. It was an idea that I can hardly take credit for, as this was something fermenting in the minds of innovators all around the world. Chris Watkins of Appropedia has started to put together a rough history of OSAT, combined with a wikified index of web-based writings on the topic.
After reviewing this, it’s encouraging to realize the conceptual and practical advances that we have made as a community in the years past. Just have a listen to the podcasts on this topic on the Agroinnovations Podcast. Pioneers like Anil Gupta have made it their life’s work to move forward the OSAT agenda; and projects such as Full Belly and Appropedia are tackling the challenges of OSAT head-on.
But, with our economic reality unraveling and Peak Oil smashing our society in the teeth, I am starting to wonder if our movement will be able to move fast enough to respond to events. Now more then ever do we need OSAT to rebuild an economy in collapse. We can fill the void being left by the destruction of 20th century manufacturing models, but we have to move quickly and effectively while there is still time.
Now, there are more questions than answers. Can we convince the world of the vital importance of our model? Can we use the remaining infrastructure of a society in tailspin to build real business models that are more compatible with small, distributed, and community-based production? Will we be able to mobilize the massive investment of resources required to move this agenda forward?
Let’s face it, we are a diffuse community, many of us working on OSAT either conceptually or practically as a secondary or tertiary project, while we all try to dedicate the necessary resources to maintaining our families. We all have a stake in the world as it is, whether we believe in OSAT or not. What comes next is anyone’s guess. But, for now, we need to ask ourselves these all important question: what three things will move OSAT forward at the pace that economic collapse requires? And, what do we have to do to implement those three things? Let the conversation begin.
12 responses to “Too little, too late?”
Another way of thinking about this: “Can Linux Scale?”
Answer: it is not, and never will be, Windows. But if Windows stops being available, or Linux is simply better than windows for your given application, you’ll take it and use it.
How pleasant that experience is depends on how good the Free alternative is. Cuba has **fascinating** reports from the forefront of relocalized agriculture, and it seems to be a pretty good experience relative to conventional mechanized agriculture… I think there are many success stories like that which are potentially scalable.
Remember most of the world lives in conditions we think are unthinkable. That’s a useful point of reference for this debate.
Evo Morales seems to be advocating for something resembling OSAT. What do you think the likelihood of public funding for OSAT in Bolivia is .
“Technology transfer to developing countries
13) Innovation and technology related to climate changes must be within the public domain, not under any private monopolistic patent regime that obstructs and makes technology transfer more expensive to developing countries.
14) Products that are the fruit of public financing for technology innovation and development of have to be placed within the public domain and not under a private regime of patents[7], so that they can be freely accessed by developing countries.
15) Encourage and improve the system of voluntary and compulsory licenses so that all countries can access products already patented quickly and free of cost. Developed countries cannot treat patents and intellectual property rights as something “sacred” that has to be preserved at any cost. The regime of flexibilities available for the intellectual property rights in the cases of serious problems for public health has to be adapted and substantially enlarged to heal Mother Earth.
16) Recover and promote indigenous peoples’ practices in harmony with nature which have proven to be sustainable through centuries.”
Thanks, Frank.
How can we convince the world of the value of this model? Firstly by continuing to create something of value to point people to. Also, by doing what we’re already doing to support and promote open appropriate technology, but do it in a more high profile way.
A couple of things we’re working on at Appropedia to this end are:
* A Appropedia:Memorandum of Understanding with OLPC for managing content. We have this understanding already with OLPC, but this will MoU will help us get cooperation with other people and groups that have content, to get collaboration happening, building the knowledge resources to support these efforts. And having a better resource and more partners brings more people together, through word of mouth and search engines.
* Finding content to put on Appropedia. Lots of work, but it can be done a little at a time, and will be very beneficial.
We talk about this stuff all the time – I’m always telling people. But we need to make a site that’s increasingly “sticky,” that draws people in, excites them, and gives them an easy way to start contributing.
Our resources are extremely limited at Appropedia, and that affects the speed, but we’re making progress nonetheless on some big developments, and as more people help out, we can move faster.
I know that’s an Appropedia-centric viewpoint – I’ve been eating and breathing Appropedia lately. I look forward to hearing other perspectives.
It’s not just scalability, but also speed. “What three things will move OSAT forward at the pace that economic collapse requires?” is a valid question.
One thing will come from outside: a sense of need. Sudden hunger. Collapse itself.
But I guess the question is “what 3 things CAN WE DO that will move OSAT forward FAST”. Is it more of the same, or do we need to do something different?
What are we doing? We’re wikifying, doing video, building stuff, making links with other people. Could we do something differently? More of the same? Do WE scale? Or do we need some other component cos there’s no way we can possibly scale?
We might open the same conversation in other sites. Global Swadeshi comes to mind, but there must be other places, many of them. Tough, important question. 3 things …
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This work by Kathi Vian, Clay Shirky, and myself done for the Institute for the Future discusses the when/how/why of what we then called “Open Scale.”
In a nutshell, non-open is only dominant when cooperation is low. In the long run, open collaboration ALWAYS wins.
I’m not worried. 😉
Open Scale
http://www.panarchy.com/Members/PaulBHartzog/Papers/TYF_06%20econ%20openScale.pdf
-p
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Paul Herzog is right. Let’s collaborate.
Please view a summary of our work:
http://openfarmtech.org/index.php?title=Open_Source_Fab_Lab
Those of you who want to help are invited to build the world’s first open source village, here at Factor e Farm. Open Source Fab Lab is one of the main pieces. Email me at opensourceecology at gmail dot com if you are in a position to come here. We are building housing on demand. We aim to collect the development team within 6-12 months, and I’m working on the open source torch table now.
Marcin
Of course the real problem is not a lack of appropriate mechanical technology or appropriate methods, the problem is social: a lack of adequate sharing of information and resources:
“The Earth provides enough for every man’s needs but not every man’s greed.” Mahatma Gandi
All truly appropriate technology is open source by definition. There’s lots of it out there and more all the time. Check out:
http://www.cd3wd.com/cd3wd_40/cd3wd/index.htm
“CD3WD Archives the Information Necessary to Rebuild Society
The world economy has collapsed. There is no internet or Wikipedia. How do you rebuild society? CD3WD…”