books

The Open Book is an essential reference point for those interested in the culmination of a global movement for change in a time of rapid social progress.

The Open Book is

• free
• crowdsourced
• licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0
• the third part of the Reaktio series

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My experience tells me there are a lot of people interested in trying open source, but they don't know where to start. And the perception that you have to write code to contribute to is a barrier to that curiosity. So, I've outlined 10 ways that anyone can get started with open source—no code writing involved.

I welcome your ideas and additions, there are without a doubt more than 10 ways—let's get started.

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My favorite thing about the Internet is the way it makes so many of us into storytellers. It turns people on to sharing their own experiences, especially experiences they might be uncomfortable relating in person. My enthusiasm for the Internet’s encouragement of transparency extends beyond digital confessionals and group therapy and well into the mundane: instruction manuals; wikis packed with the sort of minutiae one used to have to wait to overhear at a cocktail party; and the open listserv a friend maintained as a shared journal, where my every entry addressed the lone lurker no one knew (but who seemed to be named Paul and kept showing up in the output of a REVIEW DIARY-L).

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Here is an overview of valuable, free books and reports related to open innovation, co-creation and crowdsourcing. Drop a comment if you know of other books, reports, or longer articles that are available for free and worth sharing.

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In our schools and our libraries, Carolyn Fox believes we can push for more openness. Just entertaining the idea of it would be a huge step in the right direction for many who aren't aware of the open source movement beyond software that is underfoot.

Through work with her son (who is gifted and has special needs) and working as a librarian, wivenhoe (as she is referred to here at opensource.com) has learned that by promoting open source tools and programs in our daily life—discussions with friends, family and coworkers—we help open up the world around us, bringing better solutions to societal problems.  » Read more

Summer has settled firmly upon opensource.com headquarters in Raleigh—just as it has throughout the rest of the United States—but our team has successfully avoided the scorching, 100-degree heat by spending time with some truely refreshing ideas. » Read more

Think of a book you absolutely love. Now imagine being able to share a copy of that book with anyone, anywhere, as quickly and easily as you can send an email.

Normally, this just wouldn't be possible. Chances are, your favorite book hasn't even been digitized. And if it has, copyright restrictions or digital rights management technologies likely prevent you from making and disseminating copies of it. » Read more

It's the heat of summer here in North America, so it's time to reprise our summer reading list with this year's choices. Some are recent releases; others are older favorites and perhaps new to you. Regardless of age, they're what our open source authors are reading this summer and would like to recommend to you.

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Anybody who reads knows the publishing industry has changed. We mourn over print media though we read happily from the strangely pleasant matte screen of the Kindle. We long for our thick summer magazines as we’re catching quick bites from PDAs and tiny laptops. Even people who love books--and I mean /love books/ in a way that’s perhaps a little strange--find themselves faced with new-media ways of doing old-creative things and opportunity where the new road leads. » Read more