Open-Source Software for the Greater Good - Presentation Transcript
Open-Source Software for the Greater Good Chuck Harmston @cpharmston #oss4good
What is open source?
Wikipedia for software!
Freely distributed
Freely editable
Free as in beer or free as in speech?
http://bit.ly/everythingfree
Open Source Software Projects
Linux
Apache
MySQL
Drupal
Django
Firefox
Webkit (Safari)
Ruby on Rails
Wordpress
Joomla
Subversion
Git
Why is it popular with you all?
FREE! Well, sort of.
Open support communities
If you find a bug it, you can fix it! (or ask the community to)
If you want a pony, you can make it! (or ask the community to)
Open Everything!
Open APIs (NPR, Twitter)
Open data (data.gov, Sunlight Labs)
Open research (OS Drug Discovery Network)
Open maps (OpenStreetMap)
MP Expenses
http://mps-expenses.guardian.co.uk
Open data: British Parliament Members expense reports
Open source software: platform built with Django
Citizen journalism: all investigative work down by the crowd
Result: massive political scandal
RapidSMS
http://www.rapidsms.org
“Open-source framework for dynamic data collection, logistics coordination and communication, leveraging basic short message service (SMS) mobile phone technology.”
RapidResponse
Makes use of RapidSMS
Allows community health workers in the field to report patient symptoms from the field
MUAC> SAM+ Patient requires IMMEDIATE inpatient care. +28 DIALLO F. F/13M (Amie). MUAC 105 mm, Edema, Vomiting, Fever
ProjectVRM
http://projectvrm.org
“Vendor Relationship Management”
Tries to find new and better ways for vendors and clients to interact—defined by both sides
Viewers pay what they want, when they want, how they want
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