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Open SOurce everythingIncreasing technological literacy, the popularization of hacking and do-it-yourself (DIY) and the growth of creative online communities have destabilized traditional models of design. The notion of "access" (to information, tools, designs, etc.) and models of production based on networks of collaborating individuals have become central discursive axes in diverse fields of human activity. These discussions are pragmatic, yet also vested with a utopian character, linking rhetoric of "democratization" and user empowerment to visions of decentralization and personal creativity.Free/Libre, Open Source Software (FLOSS) [1] exemplifies both a new model of production and a social vision [2], building on the emancipatory potential of non-hierarchical and egalitarian production where individuals and collectives can access, modify and distribute the technologies they utilize. Denoting both a pragmatic organizational model and an ideological position, the ideas and practices of FLOSS have now transcended the world of software and are gaining ground in the collective imaginary. The alleged Linus Torvalds quote "The future is open source everything" [3] has become the impetus for a common prospective endeavor.The growing wave of translations and interpretations of the tools, practices and concepts of FLOSS across different domains illustrates the evocative power of the phrase open source and its positive connotations as a brand. In most appropriations, the phrase drifts away from its initial meaning and functions as a metaphor that is used either to label existing practices or to motivate explorations of new ones. According to social scientist Dale Bradley, the cross-disciplinary use of open source operates primarily at a symbolic level. He argues that the phrase is used as a synonym for "open," to suggest a more horizontal, inclusive and participatory approach to design and production:

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