Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
Afterword
The signatories of this Open Source Hardware definition recognize that the
open source movement represents only one way of sharing information. We en-
courage and support all forms of openness and collaboration, whether or not
they fit this definition.
Best Practices
AftertheOSHWDefinition wasputtothetest overthecourseofafewyears,bestpractices
came about to clarify parts of the definition. Together, Nathan Seidle and David Mellis col-
lected feedback from the community via a Google document to reflect the community's
feelingsaboutandbestpracticesrelatedtothedefinition.Thebestpracticestellpeoplehow
to document their hardware in the best light of the definition. Skipping or not following
some
of the best practices in no way detracts from the validity of your source being open;
however, skipping or not following
some
of the other best practices, such as no noncom-
mercial (NC) clauses, could leave you in violation of the definition. Because the best prac-
tices include both suggestions and strict rules of the definition, it is advised that you read
the Open Source Hardware Definition and Best Practices documents together. Following
the best practices as a secondary set of guidelines helps strengthen the community.
Many of the best practices were directed at resolving ambiguities within the definition.
Confusion occurred within the community where certain aspects of the definition were not
being followed as intended. For example, some companies were releasing their hardware
as open source, but delaying the public release of the source files. To combat this problem,
the Best Practices document states it is not appropriate to claim a project is open source
before the release of the source files: “Don't refer to hardware as open-source until the
design files are available. If you plan on open-sourcing the product in the future, say that
instead.” One reason this best practice exists is exemplified by the evolution of the Kick-
starter category “Open hardware,” nested in the “Technology” category, which for a while
was the only category one could choose at Kickstarter for funding hardware. Creators
chose this category even though they never intended to create open hardware or release
their products as open hardware once they made money from their first shipment. Because
the category pigeon-holed several projects as “open source,” the OSHW community saw a
growth in the number of projects delaying the release of their source files. Kickstarter now
has a “Hardware” category that allows developers to avoid using the “open source” label
when that is not the intended outcome. The education around this best practice was quite
successful, and delaying the release of files has become largely a non-issue as of the writ-
ing of this topic.
