Open Source Movements

Chances are, if a big change occurs, it will be due to an open source movement. In warfare, an open source insurgency fought the greatest military in the world to a standstill for over four years. In politics, massive open source protests toppled dictators across the Arab world and plunged the countries of those dictators who wouldn’t leave power, into chaos.

Unlike traditional movements, open source movements aren’t “led”, nor do they rely upon a formal hierarchy. Instead, they self organize around a simple, ambitious, and popular goal. A goal that is easily communicated within the constraints of social media. Successful examples of these plausible goals include “topple a corrupt dictator” “overturn an unjust law” “put a terrible company out of business” “build a valuable resource we can all benefit from”.

Self organization around a popular idea provides open source movements with a very powerful feature. Joining is easy. All that is required to join is an agreement with the idea that founded the movement. No other ideology, orthodoxy or pedigree is required. By radically reducing the barriers to participation and making the movement accessible to everyone, open source movements can grow extremely large, extremely quickly.

However, this feature limits what open source movements can do. Unrestricted participation and ideological (etc.) diversity prevents open source movements from agreeing on anything more complicated than the accomplishment of the goal that brought it together. It can’t come to an agreement on a leadership cadre or organizational hierarchy. It can’t come to an agreement on complex political and legal reforms.

While the inability to agree on complex agendas or on leaders may appear to be a fatal flaw, it isn’t. Open source movements can enjoy periods of inspired leadership and rapid rates of innovation. It simply does it differently.

More soon.

Sincerely,

John Robb