Daily pages - February 02, 2022

These are some notes from, I think, about 12 years ago, maybe longer. I say that because I haven’t referred to what I now call “open artifacts” as OT3 for some time. I’m copying them here so I can perhaps use some of the ideas or copy in the openartifacts.org website.

Welcome to OT3.net! OT3 stands for Open Tools, Techniques and Technologies and this site is here to promote and support OT3 projects.

What is OT3?

OT3 stands for Open Tools, Techniques and Technologies and is an extension of the Open Source software development model.

OT3 is an attempt to apply the concept of open collaboration beyond the computer industry and into all systems related to human survival and the survival of the planet.

While the current systems we use to survive on the planet have brought unparalleled success to many people, they still don’t take care of everyone, nor do they work within the Earth’s systems well enough to be sustainable.

The OT3 Concept

The OT3 concept comes out of a desire to find a way to help individuals and small groups of people work together toward making the world work for all humanity. There are many kinds of people in the world with many different skills and experiences, and while each of them may have the desire to help, they don’t all have the time, resources, or vision to make something happen by themselves. OT3 is intended to bring some of those with similar goals together so that as a group, they can combine their skills and efforts to create something better than they could have done individually.

It is modeled after the open source software concept which has proven to be very successful in creating world-class software. The idea is simply that projects are organized and made available online for anyone to use. Anyone can also contribute to the project as well—making improvements, pointing out errors, or supplying any other needed work.

Goals of an OT3 Project

An OT3 project is intended to do several things. First, it sets ip a design so that it can undergo continuous improvement. A “finished design” is simply the latest working version, and the OT3 team should always be looking for ways to improve it.

Second, it makes it possible for multiple people, from anywhere in the world, to contribute to the project.

Third, it makes the design available to the general population, helping to match a solution with the people who need it.

(I would add a fourth goal in that the project should be designed in a way that it can be modified according to local needs. That might mean designing a series of artifacts that operate under different conditions, or it might mean presenting the information in the form of a pattern language that lets each group create a unique design for their needs.)

An Artifact at the Heart

At its most basic, an OT3 project is an organized effort to develop a high quality tool, technique or technology that helps solve a problem, and to make it freely available to the public. The visible result of a project is some kind of usable object or artifact. An artifact can be almost anything. For example, it might be a machine, a book or instruction booklet, proposed legislation, a lesson plan, a game, a website, a computer program, or an organization. The artifact is made freely available in electronic form such that it can either be built from the available information or used directly.

An important aspect of an OT3 project is that it is in constant re-development. Like in software development, the current “final project” isn’t final at all; it’s simply the latest working solution to the problem being addressed. (It might have reached a certain level of complexity that makes this solution appropriate for certain conditions, but more conditions need to be considered.) This kind of constant improvement allows for feedback from users and other contributors and is at the heart of an OT3 project.

Types of OT3 Projects

An OT3 project can be established to work toward almost any kind of solution, whether it’s a physical object, a book or other written material, proposed legislation, a database of needed information, or the creation of an organization.

A project should have a stated purpose or goal such as “to design a high-efficiency adobe house.” The project members would work toward that goal and make their work available to others in a form that can be used to build the house. In this case, it might take the form of complete building plans, material lists, and detailed instructions, all made available for download online.