Open Source is a paradigm of shared collaborative effort towards a common goal. Although it is most commonly found in software development, the same model can also be adapted for use in other areas, e.g. Open Source Farm Equipment Models – (Blueprints for Civilization).
Open Source deployed via a Version Control system (Git) provides the potential to utilise the same technology so popular in the world of software development for other purposes. In doing so, it offers a potential solutions to many problems that might arise when attempting collaborative projects:-
| Problem | Solution |
| Misrepresentation of Dr Hamers Laws | Open Source Collaboration allows for the correction of inaccuracies |
| Effort Acknowledgement | Using “Git” technology (via GitHub) identifies all contributions, no matter how big or small |
| Differing Opinions | Multiple versions of a project can exist (versions and branches) but the most endorsed naturally rises to the top and becomes the standard |
| Unresolved Differences | Where there are irreconcilable differences, the project can be ‘forked’ which creates a duplication of the project (to a different owner) |
| Language Barriers | Multiple languages can be supported if suitable frameworks are put in place |
| Technical Barriers | Assistive Tools can be deployed to make collaboration and contribution as easy as possible. Of course, contributions could be submitted via technically proficient people and contributor details acknowledged with submissions |
| Ownership Disputes | Open Source doesn’t focus on ownership. Instead it shifts towards a Collaboration and Recognition Model |
| Reward Potential | Open Source does not mean all effort is free and unrewarded. There is potential for Donations to be accepted and distributed proportionally to key contributors and/or Target-based goals can be set and rewards distributed at distinct ‘checkpoints’ |
On asking an AI tool to summarise why Open Source is a good fit for this project:-
“Open source fits this kind of project because the license already assumes strangers worldwide will reuse, correct, and extend the work. That matches a multilingual effort where most people are not programmers: anyone can send a translation, a dataset, or a code script that performs a particular function, without asking permission first.
Version control (Git or similar) treats data files, translation files, and presentation code as the same kind of change: a proposed edit, a review, then a merge. That gives you history, credit, and the ability to reject bad submissions without locking the whole project behind one institution. Transparency also matters for datasets: others can see what was added, when, and by whom, which builds trust with non-technical users.
The same process scales across languages. A contributor in one country can add a locale file or a regional dataset; someone else can review wording; a third person can plug that data into a simple viewer. The ‘code’ stays thin on purpose—it is a way to show the shared data, not the main product. Maintainers keep quality by reviewing submissions, while the license keeps the collection free to copy, translate, and rebuild elsewhere.”