Difference between revisions of "Open collaborative design/Intro"

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−	[[Image:Open design two notebooks.jpg|150px|right]] '''Open collaborative design''' involves applying the highly successful [[free and open-source software]] methodology to the design of machines and systems in the physical world using a principle called [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyleft 'copyleft'] [[Image:Copyleft.png|16px]]. This employs normal copyright to apply terms to the works saying that they will be freely available for anyone else to make use of, customise, or build upon, and additionally any derivations will also inherit the same copyright license. So 'copylefted' works, whether they are designs, text, artwork or computer code, are gifted to humanity permanently.	+	[[image:Open_design_two_notebooks.png|right|180px]] '''Open collaborative design''' involves applying principles from the remarkable [[free and open-source software]] movement that provides a powerful new way to design physical objects, machines and systems. All information involved in creating the object or system is made available on the Internet {{en}} such as text, drawings, photographs and 3D [[Free and open-source computer-aided design/What is computer-aided design|computer-aided design]] (CAD) models {{en}} so that other people can freely re-create it, or help contribute to its further evolution. It is essentially the same principle that is used to progress scientific knowledge, however in reality it is much more open and transparent than much of contemporary scientific research.
−	The principle of copyleft completely changes the way that people think about contributing their time, creativity and efforts to these projects because it is contributing to a huge universal 'commons' available to all, that other are similarly contributing to. What goes around, comes around.	+	A core element of this development model is a principle called {{wp|Copyleft|'copyleft'}} (symbol: [[Image:Copyleft.png|12px]]) which is a way of applying copyright to a creative work in a way that makes sure that ''anyone'' can freely use it or build upon it - and also that derivative works inherit the same terms, ensuring anything based on the original is freely available too. This principle means that 'copylefted' items {{en}} whether they are designs, text, artwork or computer code {{en}} are effectively gifted to humanity, adding to an ever increasing universal 'commons'. Because this principle is to the benefit of everyone, it completely changes the way that many people think about contributing their time and effort to this type of project. It already works very effectively with many high profile, successful [[Free and open-source software|software projects]], so this is not merely wishful thinking.
−	These new collaborative principles are leaking out from the domain of [[Free and open-source software|open source]] software development into the physical world. New generations of open-source [[computer-aided design|CAD]] programs will allow people to easily construct their own designs and make use of vast libraries of components, assemblies or whole artefacts from the commons - making the design process much faster and avoids the huge duplication of effort that occurs at the moment.	+	Open collaborative design is a nascent field that has huge potential to radically alter the way we create goods, machines and systems {{en}} not only for personal items but all the way up to components of national or global infrastructure.
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−	These design principles can apply to the simplest things that can be made by individuals, all the way up to large-scale and complex systems of national or global infrastructure. Because the designs are not closed and proprietary, people will be encouraged to contribute knowing their involvement not only benefits themselves but anyone else who chooses to use the results of their efforts.	+
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−	Giving the designs physical form will be fast and easy due to emerging high-speed, flexible [[Turning collaborative designs into physical objects|manufacturing techniques]]. As a result the open design ecosystem will effectively become an internet for physical objects {{em}} and its impact is likely to be as great as the web has been for information.<noinclude>{{refresh|Open collaborative design}}</noinclude>	+

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Latest revision as of 21:16, 2 January 2012

Open collaborative design involves applying principles from the remarkable free and open-source software movement that provides a powerful new way to design physical objects, machines and systems. All information involved in creating the object or system is made available on the Internet – such as text, drawings, photographs and 3D computer-aided design (CAD) models – so that other people can freely re-create it, or help contribute to its further evolution. It is essentially the same principle that is used to progress scientific knowledge, however in reality it is much more open and transparent than much of contemporary scientific research.

A core element of this development model is a principle called 'copyleft'  (symbol: ) which is a way of applying copyright to a creative work in a way that makes sure that anyone can freely use it or build upon it - and also that derivative works inherit the same terms, ensuring anything based on the original is freely available too. This principle means that 'copylefted' items – whether they are designs, text, artwork or computer code – are effectively gifted to humanity, adding to an ever increasing universal 'commons'. Because this principle is to the benefit of everyone, it completely changes the way that many people think about contributing their time and effort to this type of project. It already works very effectively with many high profile, successful software projects, so this is not merely wishful thinking.

Open collaborative design is a nascent field that has huge potential to radically alter the way we create goods, machines and systems – not only for personal items but all the way up to components of national or global infrastructure.