In Taiwan, the open technology culture gained momentum following the Sunflower Student Movement in 2014, which raised public awareness of democracy and introduced many to the concept of open source.
According to Singing Li, CEO, and Rosa Kuo, executive secretary at Taiwan-based APC member Open Culture Foundation (OCF), communicating the benefits, values and beliefs of open technology is still a work in progress, much like Taiwan's evolving democracy. People are more prone to talking, they explained, adding that there needs to be more contributing action to make this a sustainable process.
So, what is the current open technology landscape in Taiwan? How receptive are people to the open source ideology? Over the years, OCF has navigated these challenges and fostered a deeper understanding of open source principles in various Taiwanese communities.
To celebrate its 10th anniversary, OCF is holding an Open Source Festival on 14 September 2024 in Taipei. The festival will feature thematic lectures, a special exhibition, music, technology, and art, and the event will see the participation of prominent musicians. We interviewed Li and Kuo about this upcoming milestone and they shared their insights into OCF’s transformative journey: bridging the gap between technology and civic communities, and shaping the broader open source ecosystem in Taiwan. The interview has been translated and edited for length and clarity.
How does OCF define the open source ecosystem? How has this ecosystem evolved over the last 10 years?
Kuo: Most nonprofit organisations in Taiwan still focus on disadvantaged groups, or issues like the environment, gender, etc. Topics related to technology and technical issues are relatively few, let alone open source. The public also do not necessarily understand what open source is. Under such conditions, this 10-year mark has really been an important milestone for us.
The original definition of open source was in software development, where the source code could be shared freely with everyone. People could learn, use, improve it, and continue sharing it, forming a cycle. Later, OCF extended this definition to openness and sharing, somewhat like building a healthy cycle for a digital society. We found that the values of open source – openness and sharing – can be taken further, such as with open government and open data. In recent years, we have had issues related to digital human rights and internet freedom and governance. So, OCF has gone through many issues over these 10 years, constantly consolidating or reframing them.
Li: To add to that, this ecosystem initially aimed to show that open source is not just a matter for tech people, but also something relevant to everyone.
Amid the Taiwanese political situation1 over the last 10 years, what challenges have you encountered?
Kuo: There has been a lack of consensus on advancing technical aspects or digital transformation. The Taiwanese government has many projects promoting open source, such as advocating for licensing or commercial applications, but they often don’t understand the full picture and the true values behind open source. They push short-term policies that get abandoned halfway due to insufficient funds. This prevents the widespread adoption of values or the long-term application of open source in government procurement.
Do you feel that open source has become more widespread and recognised by the public?
Kuo: I think our partners have gradually bought into the concept because OCF positions itself as a bridge between civic communities, the open technology community and the government. Different people require different communication strategies. We might not use hardcore source code to start the conversation but rather promote the principles of transparency, openness and sharing to persuade our stakeholders. We might share our values and show them the abstract or tangible benefits and drawbacks of open technology.
One interesting achievement is that in bridging the dialogue between civic and tech communities, we’ve found that communication and capacity-building are intersectional. Tech communities often focus on the update or improvement of technological aspects. However, civil societies might be facing digital threats and need technological assistance. By informing CSOs about the benefits of open technologies, we also bring the communities’ challenges and issues back to the tech community, helping them understand the risks that communities face. This bridging of communication has become necessary as various fields overlap.
Have you ever doubted the commitment to open source technology?
Li: Not really. What we really care about is that open source brings openness, transparency and collaboration, which are essential for societal operations. We value the principles behind open technology. It’s about returning software sovereignty to the users themselves.
Kuo: We often face monopolies or have limited rights to do certain things in technology. But I want to emphasise the values underlying open technology – openness, sharing, and giving – enable people to have knowledge sovereignty, which in turn affects their actions and choices. Whether it’s policies or data collection and governance, if the general public understands governance mechanisms and policy formation, it can influence their actions and choices. When there is an information gap or things are hidden, the hundred choices you thought you have might not really be one hundred. Those choices might be constrained or obscured.
What is a memorable lesson you have learned in the last 10 years?
Li: I believe doing open source requires a group of very creative, flexible and passionate people. There’s no fixed formula; you’re always considering how to respond to a particular issue. The open source community relies on people. People come and go, so what do you want to leave behind? How can we make the topic interesting or attractive enough to draw people in?
What specific contributions to the open source community are you most proud of?
Kuo: OCF, as an independent foundation in Taiwan, served only four communities 10 years ago. Today, we serve over 40 communities each year, which is a tenfold increase. This really reflects the significant impact of OCF’s commitment on the community.
I believe that OCF’s contributions in promoting issues in Taiwan are significant. Before us, there were actually very few organisations that promoted such a wide range of topics. We linked technical issues with human rights issues and engaged these discussions. OCF serves as a bridge, bringing everyone together with a broader perspective. I feel quite proud that we can say this is one of the few organisations in Taiwan in this field.
What is OCF looking forward to in the coming years? What would it like to focus on?
Kuo and Li: We’ve used a guerrilla approach to address issues as they came up. Looking ahead at the next 30 to 50 years, we will gradually develop strategies in our five initiative areas. We want to try to systematically organise our strategies and the goals we want to achieve within the next 10 years. The Open Technology Handbook is also part of establishing our own philosophy and the basis for dialogue. We have organised the history and key contexts of open source data and government, reinterpreting these three topics – open source, open data and open government – from OCF’s perspective. I hope that OCF can achieve our core values with a more refined and systematic strategy, and that this approach can help the entire ecosystem thrive, making the digital society healthier.
A small change, like beginning with a single patch in open source, can strengthen the entire structure.
Can you share your goals for the Open Source Festival in September?
Kuo and Li: The festival is intended to create a joyful and relaxed atmosphere. This connects to a few keywords we mentioned: sharing, connection, and cross-discipline. We’ve arranged various activities, including entertainment and open cross-disciplinary conversations between open technological fields with design, law, and cybersecurity, publishing, etc.
We’ve also organised a rich and diverse exhibition that reflects on the milestones of open source in Taiwan, the community, and even globally over the past decade. Additionally, we’ve invited bands to perform, including some notable artists like Lim Giong, who will release a vinyl electronic album, under a Creative Commons License, allowing creators to adapt and create. Lin Qiang was really moved by this idea. He will dedicate his album’s first press conference to the festival and the album will be available on OCF’s official website.
Li: For me, the biggest thing in the community is finding someone with such a strong belief. As long as their determination is strong enough, they can push something forward and operate within their own scope. If everyone has fun and we see a flow of 500 to 1,000 people, including parents passing by with their kids who stop to check out our exhibition, I think that would be a success and a groundbreaking achievement for OCF.
Images courtesy OCF.
1 Taiwan's political landscape is defined by its complex relationship with the PRC, which claims Taiwan as its territory. However, Taiwan operates independently with its own government and military. Recently, tensions have escalated due to rising Taiwanese identity, increased international support, and geopolitical pressures.
cathy, APC's Publication and Multimedia Coordinator, channels her interest in creative design thinking and storytelling. Outside of work, she is a devoted dog lover, drawing fun, joy and inspiration from her four-legged friends.