Open Source Ethics: Beyond the License
Why true openness requires more than just publishing code.
Publishing code under an open license is the beginning of open source, not the end. True openness requires open governance, open process, open economics, and open invitation. At OiQ, we're trying to embody all four.
Open governance means decision-making is visible and participatory. Our roadmap is public. Our discussions happen in the open. Major decisions go through community input periods. We use the RUBIC system to make governance itself reversible - any decision can be reconsidered if the community's understanding changes.
Open process means not just sharing outputs but sharing how we work. Our design documents, our internal debates, our failed experiments - all public. When we make a mistake, we document it openly so others can learn. Opacity is the enemy of trust.
Open economics means transparency about money. Where does funding come from? Where does it go? What are the conflicts of interest? We publish our finances quarterly. We accept no investment that comes with strings. Sustainability through community support, not capture by capital.
Open invitation means actively welcoming participation, not just passively allowing it. Documentation written for newcomers. Onboarding processes that actually work. Recognition for contributions of all kinds, not just code. The door isn't just unlocked - it's propped open with a welcome mat.
Why does this matter? Because open source has been captured before. Companies have learned to use open source strategically while maintaining closed cores of value extraction. 'Open source' has become compatible with surveillance capitalism. We reject that compatibility.
OiQ's commitment: everything we build will remain genuinely open. Not open-core, not source-available, not delayed-open. Open from day one, governed openly, sustained openly. Technology that can't be enclosed because it was never closed to begin with.
This is harder than it sounds. It requires refusing certain funding, accepting slower growth, navigating complex governance. But we believe it's the only way to build technology that truly serves humanity rather than extracting from it.