User:Aeong/Open Source Hardware And Software: Difference between revisions

Open Source is a broad definition that is often applied to technological hardware and software. In the case of hardware, open source refers to hardware that has its schematics available for all to see, and is copyrighted under a non-restrictive license that allows anyone to make, modify, and redistribute that hardware. Open-source software refers to any software that has its source code freely available for redistribution, modification, and in some cases, sale. (Streamline this a bit and be more descriptive if possible.)

In the early days of modern technology, hardware was much easier to repair, and often had its schematics semi-available, making the repair process easier. As [[Planned Obsolescence]] has taken root in the modern world, tech has become much more closed off, and has become so hard to repair that it is often easier to buy a new device than repair it. This has significantly contributed to e-waste. It has allowed corporations to gate-keep their knowledge, making it much harder to learn about sophisticated technology unless you are connected to them. Open source hardware isn't the [[Right to Repair|full solution]] to this problem, but it can help democratize knowledge, make repair easier, and make replacement parts easier to obtain.

[[Right to Repair]]