Open development wiki
An open development wiki has been discussed and advocated during the 2000s. Appropedia has begun to fulfill this role - documenting all aspects of open development and the reasons for open development.
The importance of knowledge sharing for development is widely recognized, and a wiki is a proven tool for knowledge sharing. The advantages of transparency and the use of open licenses are widely acknowledged, but not widely practiced; documenting the case for open development helps to advance the cause; and explaining what constitutes open development will hopefully protect it from being co-opted or used as a mere shibboleth.
In sharing information on practices, technology and contextual information (e.g. Country Guides), this could meet the needs of aid and development workers, volunteers, local NGOs. This can also benefit the "targets" of development, as internet access improves, and even poor people in remote villages can potentially benefit from knowing someone with internet access.
Being the wiki for open development, in as many words, has been a key part of the aim of Appropedia since it started in 2006. This is well within the scope of the site, and related subjects matter on the wiki is growing, including:
- Akvopedia - a wiki for water technologies.