The world is changing – what was once a reliance on party opinions, the blind acceptance of democracy, has been reformed. Children of the technological age are demanding more than the generations that came before them. They want explanations. They want results. They want… their opinions to matter.
And open source governance has allowed that to occur.
Simply explained: open source governance is the utilization of online methods (such as networking sites, forums, blogs and more) to offer communication between users and the organizations they support. It’s an instant connection between the public and their representatives, ensuring that all topics are examined and discussed.
And this is vital in an era of information – when all can seek out ideas in the virtual word, dissect them with ease. Such dissections can then be offered without reprimand, allowing for the creation of new policies and legislation.
There are, of course, certain principles that must be followed in open source politics (it’s not without its rules). These cannot be denied:
Division of Power
Authority is absolute – this is the philosophy that propels most systems. The intention is to limit all outside involvement, to curtail confusion. Such an intention is ill-fated, though, according to open source politics.
It seeks instead to let all power fall to the masses, ensuring that it’s divided among the many and not reliant on the few. This is to enable a democratic approach and keep all of those in managerial positions from being tempted to abuse their abilities. Decentralization is essential, it’s argued, for this method to succeed.
Informational Requirements
Ignorance is not bliss. It is merely inexcusable. No individual is to be unaware of the world; all of are instead to understand it.
And information must be traded freely (and quickly). Open governance depends upon conversation – it demands that all involved must be able to offer opinions that are settled in facts, not mere rhetoric. All venues of communication must therefore be used: message boards, chat sessions, blogs, directories, documents and more.
Equal Involvement
All men are created equally: this is the truth of a republic, the belief all have been offered. It is also too often ignored, with individuals dismissed, assumed to be less important than their supposed betters. Open source politics does not agree with this, however.
Instead it demands that all users be heard and responded to (as long as they aren’t deliberately trying to undo the purpose of the process). There are to be no discriminations, only validations.
Argument Exposure
No debate is formed of one opinion. No argument can be sustained without opposing sides. Government is shaped by its discussions – and open sources are the same. All ideas are to be expressed (even ones that may go against the feelings of the majority). The desire is to gain knowledge, with users exposed to all elements of a problem. This is combative collaborative thinking and it allows the system to work.
The concept of the open source is often restrained, thought to offer only technological advancements. It can instead be applied to the democratic processes, however, and must be recognized as vital.
Jessy is tech nerd and geeky blogger for Life Insurance Finder, the free money-saving app to compare cheap life insurance.
