(What Comes) After FOSS?

Open Digital Infrastructure refers to the collection of open-source code, standards, and knowledge assets that make up digital building blocks such as software libraries, compilers, communication protocols, and network standards. These resources are developed by individual contributors, volunteer communities, researchers, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and other corporate entities.

They form the foundation of a free and public codebase designed to address common challenges in programming, as well as serve a wide range of essential functions in society. While Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) has experienced success, the movement behind it seems to be in disarray. Many contributors and maintainers of FOSS are feeling disillusioned, yet critical technologists are exploring novel approaches to align their digital work with the political goal of safeguarding the public interest.

Comprehending how these technologists achieve this alignment is crucial if we are to grasp how digital infrastructure can be crafted, sustained, and protected in the public interest moving forward.