Last week I shared what i thought were 5 barriers to the adoption of Open Source, which then led to a discussion of how do people really use it.

I welcome feedback from our readers regarding what part Open Source plays in your daily work or personal life.  I wanted to take the discussion outside the box or out of the server room per se.

I have to agree with some of the tweet replies, that the people factor is the one of the strongest barriers to adoption.  By providing examples of how Open Source software makes a difference in everyday real life use, then perhaps people would consider exploring open source alternatives.

It is well noted that most of us are already using open source and are not fully aware of it, as sites such as Google, Facebook, Amazon etc are powered by open source code contributions. Our handheld devices and cell phones also have open source components.

While I have chosen not to move into the developer stream, here is how  I work with Open Source on a daily basis.

Building Capacity   Working with innovative and enthusiastic people around the globe while deploying Linux solutions in schools and training labs, we break the mold regarding the traditional transfer of knowledge from developed to developing countries.  I find that there is more consistent use of open source outside of North America which allows for the exchange of learning and is a win-win for both parties.

There is a strong desire by today's young people (18-25) to break the 'donor' dependency and to address the real pressing needs that they have identified in their own countries, politics aside. 

Several weeks ago, we interviewed Jacob Odame of 1Village Ltd Ghana, who is spearheading a youth development project to train ICT field technicians.  A barrier to open source adoption in rural areas is the lack of knowledgeable support people or training resources.  It is not good enough to dump a computer lab on the ground and not have a sustainable 3 year plan.

Deploying a Ubuntu lab (rather than no lab at all due to cost prohibitive licensing or ongoing stability issues due to viruses) provides youth with a sense of ownership and pride in the fact that they are making a measurable contribution to their communities.  I am glad to be playing a role in this project and look forward to it expanding to other regions of Africa.  

Skill Development Open source provides the opportunity to get inside the code base and learn it. for anyone who wants to code, tackle bugs, or make apps for IPhone and the like,   By encouraging those who are keen or gifted in this area to try their hand at Ruby Rails, Python or Java, it sets the stage for development efforts which can be exported instead of reliance on proprietary solutions. 

In response to the earthquake in Haiti, I organized a Crisis Camp (http://wiki.crisiscommons.org/wiki/Main_Page) which used open source programming to develop apps to be used real time by NGO's on the ground, as well as updating openstreetmaps with current satellite imagery of Haiti to help with the delivery of aid on the ground.  These open source projects can be re-purposed for any other disaster such as Chili or China's recent earthquake.

Enhancing Education  The debate rages as to whether ICT or Internet access actually makes a measurable difference in a child's education especially in developing countries where basic needs such as clean water, sanitation and food are not met and survival can be a daily struggle.

I strongly feel that exposure to ICT does make a difference.  Yes, it means that teachers need to adapt to the introduction of technology as the use of Free Open Source Software allows for cash strapped schools to keep the budget focused on adequate teacher salaries etc.  

If teachers rise to the challenge and explore the range of open resources available, such as Wiki Educator where they are turning the digital divide into digital dividends using free content and open networks. (http://wikieducator.org/OERF:Home)  

We routinely deploy systems using Edubuntu, Italc, Gcompris, KDE educational tools, Google apps, and setup Moodle or School Tool.  Add in low powered cost effective PC's and you do make a difference.  

On a final note, I find that there is an open source option for pretty much every task that I need to do throughout the day, such as cloning hard drives (Clonezilla), FTP transfer of modules to this site (Filezilla), recording my podcast via Skype (Skype Call Recorder) my image modifications with GIMP and the list goes on.  How do i give back to these projects?  By encouraging a new generation to step up and be involved in Open Source.  Which leads to another discussion of 'what's in it for me?'  Can I have a viable career in Open Source or is it always a volunteer project.