The Open-Source Ethos
If you’re unfamiliar with the term, “Open-Source”, we’re glad you’re here. You can read [this post] about what open-source is, but here is a quick summary for our purposes today. Open-source is a term that, at its core, refers to something that can be freely accessed, used, modified, and shared by anyone. Although many people associate open-source with software, anything can be made open-source, including physical gadgets and works of art.
HVAC Professionals Can Create in a Collaborative & Pioneering Ecosystem
If we were to sit down and think about it, the list of works licensed in an open-source way touches billions of people each day. From the obvious projects like Flickr, Youtube, and Wikipedia, we also have educational sites of Khan Academy, games like Cards Against Humanity and Dungeons & Dragons, news outlets of ProPublica, and internet staples of Mozilla and Internet Archive that are referenced by Alexa and Google Home constantly. This is a short and simplified list when it comes to open-source projects, but you get the picture.
In the realm of these open-source projects, the philosophy encourages transparency, inviting all with an expertise to share their knowledge, experiences, and insights. This collaborative spirit transcends the confines of a specific project, creating a culture where learning from one another is not just welcomed but celebrated. In fact, one could say that opening up the development process leads to more robust, secure, and well-documented project.
So for us involved in the HVAC, building sciences, or professional tinkerers, how can we create in this environment? OpenHVAC is looking to be a hub for inquisitive individuals to post their ideas and get feedback so new technologies, hardware, processes, and systems can be produced. From this hub, we hope that anyone can take things discussed and produced to build something new that can then be iterated upon once again, and so on. There are already organizations like Umorpha and Beestat building in the hub and with more and more contributions, more gets done.
What is Holding You Back?
Open collaboration extends the reach of a project beyond individual contributions, fostering an environment where diverse minds come together to build something greater than the sum of its parts. The HVAC industry hasn’t had a place to gather for this type of project until now.
By embracing the principles of open collaboration and external engagement, we can pave the way for a future where open-source isn’t just about code repositories or one-off tinkering, but about building communities, fostering innovation, and advancing the collective knowledge of humanity.
So that is what OpenHVAC.io is all about: being the hub for any and all to build the spokes that ultimately take the industry forward. It’s abstract now, but more becomes clear as more people get involved. So don’t wait! Bring your HVAC ideas to our group and let’s build something, together.
