FOSS: Understanding FOSS Visual Guide
Today I decided to create a 22 page visual guide which describes what FOSS is and how it works. This is because I’ve found technical people who describe it to be dull and non technical users who get a good explanation to be genuinely interested.
So there seems to be a disconnect between technical people who understand FOSS and non technical users and what kinds of explanations work between them.
Since I’ll be explaining these concepts to many different people, mostly non technical, I need a way to communicate what we mean by Free and Open source Software and some of it’s implications for the community center organisers I’ll be talking to.
I’m attaching both the pdf and an archive of the source svgs all licensed under Creative Commons CC-BY-SA. If you see spelling mistakes or think there is something missing or erroneous, tell me or post a fix.
Download PDF here
Download SVGs here
Update: Thanks to all the input so far. I’ve revised it 17 20 times with each person’s input and help. Spelling mistakes have been removed, my own personal dogmas have been sanded down, some new pages and it’s now ready for use.
I tried it out on the local Radio Shack employees, it seems to work. They get the ideas, they understand what it’s about and seem to be able to relate better to people who choose to use Ubuntu. So good signs for this trial.
2009-03-23 at 12:07
On the page titled “Once Created”
“It can be used by anyone, for any reason [at] any time.”
On the page “Creation costs” in regards to closed source it indicates that the programming of Employees doesn’t appear to cost. Seems confusing — those programmers expect a salary, right?
2009-03-23 at 12:17
OK fixed in rev3, you can download again if you want.
I changed the text to say that it doesn’t cost the user directly.
2009-03-23 at 12:26
On Page 12, you could strike out the red arrows to emphasize that this is not possible with private property.
2009-03-23 at 13:39
Emailed you, Martin, my comments already. I went to your blog for another post, and noticed that jreinhardt had the same comment as one of mine.
But overall I think this is a great piece for communication. Marketing without the spin (I’m trying to mean that in a good way).
2009-03-23 at 13:43
On page 9 of the pdf, you misspelled “derivative”.
2009-03-23 at 13:50
… and “accessible” on p. 11 and “Accountable” on p. 23.
And as a stylistic comment, I think it looks better if the concepts on p.23 are all nouns, i.e. use “Accountability” and “Creativity” instead.
2009-03-23 at 14:18
All fixed, revision 12 uploaded…
2009-03-23 at 16:30
This a great, easy to follow explanation of FOSS. Thanks!
2009-03-23 at 17:31
Suggest you put version number and date on front cover. Add link from where the latest version can be downloaded. Maybe list “volunteer” programmer and “helpful suggestions ” from non-programmer on page 16. On page 18 add “paid” and “volunteer” designation to programmers.
Recently I have thought about creating a brochure on Free/Libre Open Source Software (FOSS/FLOSS) to hand out at my Linux Users Group for the newcomers, the true beginners. My problem was coming up with ideas on what content to provide. This is an excellent guide that is of immediate use as is, for our group at an upcoming Free Software & Technology Expo this May in St. Louis, MO.
I would have built a tri-fold handout using either Scribus or OOo Writer to complement our current “Introduction to Linux” brochure. This guide will make an
excellent presentation or tutorial resource. Why the 7.11 x 5.33 inch size?
I am looking forward to ideas from others. Thanks again for such a great guide!
2009-03-24 at 04:51
Thanks, I might actually use this if I ever get around to holding that fundraiser…
2009-03-24 at 11:01
martin, it’s really, really good. how about getting it into a video form for youtube, where many folks search for simple concept explanations.
2009-03-24 at 11:19
Very good effort.
The business model slides can be refined. Having both paid and volunteered programmers do lower the creation costs. Aother aspect worth mentioning is the number and size of the companies now contributing to open source. When the lower cost development model is combined with a large number of large companies contributing to open source everything changes.
Also, there are many small, venture backed open source companies which are changing the software landscape. Their code is being adopted by millions of companies (and people) around the world. Although only a small percentage of people pay these companies but this model is sustainable. Companies are successful enough to effectively compete and continue bringing new product features and functionality through open source.
2009-03-24 at 11:38
You mean show the exponential growth of multiple contributors. It may be worth a slide if it’s done right.
As for the business model of those venture backed small biz, they might be able to earn enough, but it does mean that there will need to be a balance redress when it’s time for people to develop software based on their self interest not just leaning on someone else’s wallet.
2009-03-24 at 12:23
[...] You can download the PDF, as well as the source SVG files, from Martin’s blog. [...]
2009-03-24 at 16:41
Great work!!!
2009-03-25 at 04:53
Good stuff. Thanks for sharing!
2009-03-25 at 23:25
Looking at revision 17, page 23, I think designating one figure as “government” was brilliant. I further suggest making one of the page 23 users something like “educator/school/student/university” with the little learning hat and tassel.
The changes have been fantastic. Thanks again for such a powerful guide.
2009-03-27 at 12:20
[...] slideshows to the general public to test your new visual book about [...]
2009-03-28 at 07:27
I see this is copyright to you, not CC?
2009-03-28 at 08:29
Creative Commons is copyrighted material. It’s a licenses that I grant certain rights and freedoms with my copyrights. But I don’t get rid of them, that would be Public Domain, not Creative Commons.
2009-03-29 at 15:51
Thanks for this fantastic resource! I’ve Dugg it, Twittered it, Facebooked it, blogged it…now I can’t wait to get out there and use it
2009-03-29 at 21:39
Thank you Nathan, I’d be happy if it helps 1,000 people in understanding how this works. I keep on having to remind people, and it seems silly to do so, what we do is not a charity it’s more like a service. That service is to ourselves or to our community at no cost, or to each other for a cost. So long as we can get some perspective on what it is we do and what others outside can ask of us, the better.
2009-03-30 at 13:45
[...] Está sob licença Creative Commons CC-BY-SA e nos formatos PDF e SVG no blog do autor. [...]
2009-04-01 at 10:30
[...] می توانید یادداشت اصلی مولف این فایل را با عنوان «Understanding FOSS Visual Guide» مطالعه [...]
2009-04-03 at 20:43
[...] my FOSS visual guide for where I was going with [...]
2009-04-03 at 23:49
Page 18 struck me as an odd place to start balancing gender among box figures. If there’s no specific meaning of introducing a change in figures, it should probably be done across the board.
2009-04-04 at 07:31
I agree with jldugger, but on the account that gender is not necessary.
Human is a class, but gender is a private atribute.
2009-04-05 at 08:24
[...] FOSS: Understanding FOSS Visual Guide [...]
2009-04-26 at 10:15
[...] راهنمای تصویری مفیدی با نام “Understanding FOSS Visual Guide” یافتم. این راهنمای به نشان دادن مفهوم نرم افزار [...]
2009-04-26 at 11:34
[...] راهنمای تصویری مفیدی با نام “Understanding FOSS Visual Guide” یافتم. این راهنمای به نشان دادن مفهوم نرم افزار [...]
2009-06-06 at 04:09
On page 24, it says “The number of varity of people”. I think you meant “variety”. Great work! Very useful!
2009-06-06 at 09:29
Fixed, thanks!
2009-06-17 at 08:14
That’s a lovely presentation style.
Many thanks for your work.
2009-06-29 at 11:49
[...] for Miro and I’m also interested to hear of other unique and interesting funding models for Free and Open Source Software, the more we experiment, the more likely we’ll be able to invent something that will be able [...]
2009-07-22 at 19:55
I notice your graphic logo for FOSS. It seems there are different logos for FOSS.
My question is whether there is an official logo. Searching Wikipedia I found a fairly unexciting logo. I like the one on this page more, but not sure it’s official.
I am oranising a FOSS event and as such want to make graphic marketing material and hence the question.
Apologies if out of context.
2009-07-22 at 21:03
IT would be nice to have a FOSS logo that was exciting and good to show, but there isn’t yet. I have no logo and what you may have done is mistaken some graphic I used in my presentation with such a logo.
2009-09-01 at 06:28
[...] a number of letters out to representatives and candidates for various things. I usually send my Understanding FOSS pdf to see if it helps understanding the mechanisms of commons based collaborative work. I’m [...]
2009-10-24 at 04:22
thank’s a lot for info sharing and reference. It’s very useful ^_^