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The Design Science and Open Source Revolutions: Are They Related?
Is there one? A relationship that is? Between these two revolutions?
Bucky Fuller died in 1983. As one of the great storytellers of his age, he had almost single-handedly kept alive “the myth” (doesn’t mean “the lie” — closer to “the code”) of a design science revolution (DSR), something about thinking globally while acting locally, transcending an older myth of political leadership by the self appointed and entitled, cloaked in the rhetoric of “democracy”.
The Whole Earth Catalog, packed with artifact designs and stories about self sufficient, off the grid lifestyles, is held up as part of the DSR syllabus in the Noel Murphy films. Shelter itself was a primary focus, thanks in large degree to Bucky himself. The Age of Aquarius appeared off to a promising beginning. Grunch of Giants was dedicated to three women, Marilyn Ferguson among them (The Aquarian Conspiracy). We got lots of recycled talk of a “new age” (an old meme, trucked out from time to time, by the next crop of hopefuls).
Another myth got started with the birth of the internet, just ramping up as a new global phenomenon when Bucky died. A new Electronic Frontier was emerging. This was the myth of a free open source revolution and its tongue in cheek plan for world domination. How tongue in cheek though?
