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Non-Technical Projects Using Open-Source Methodologies?

Posted by Cliff on from the open-doesn't-have-to-be-limited-to-computers dept.

handspring_cjf asks: "I'm doing some work on non-technical projects: organizations/companies that are using the ideals that originated with the Open Source movement in the commercial/non-profit marketplace. So far, I've come up with the OpenLaw project at Harvard Uni, but that seems to be the only big one that I can find. I'm sure that there are others out there that I don't know about. Any help that people could offer would be greatly appreciated."

4 of 10 comments (clear)

  1. There's Open Music by epsalon · · Score: 2, Interesting

    The same rules of open source, applied to music.

    The works are licensed under the Open audio license. There is a listing of open music works available here.
    --

    Make even shorter URLs - 8LN.org

  2. Not entirely 'open source', but... by gmhowell · · Score: 2

    I work in a doctor's office. We routinely deal with hundreds of insurance companies, each with their own rules. These rules change about as often as Microsoft API.

    Once a week, the billing staff has a meeting. Anything about any insurance company is discussed. Changes must be accompanied by an idea of how to respond (a bug report must contain proposal for new code) and one person decides what change to adopt (one person has CVS commit rights). Heck, for that matter, the analogy can be extended further, as we will sometimes allow one or two people to do something a little different (AC kernel?) before deciding if that is the right path to take.

    When all is done, it is written down, so that others (who missed the meeting, join the staff later, etc) can get on the same page.

    And like most coding documentation, it's a bit behind and somewhat half-assed.

    --
    Jesus was all right but his disciples were thick and ordinary. -John Lennon
  3. "open-source" encyclopedia by neripunk · · Score: 2, Interesting

    There is a really good attempt to build a collaborative, volunteer, peer-reviewed, open, free (both senses) encyclopedia at www.nupedia.org

  4. The Open Directory Project by khym · · Score: 2

    If you consider "non-technical" to mean "not creating a piece of software or hardware", then the Open Directory Project should count. Like Yahoo's directories, but maintained by volunteers, uses peer review, and the resulting data is useable by anyone under the Free Use License.

    --
    Give a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a day, but set him on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life.