
The open source washing machine project - chanux
http://openmaterials.org/2010/03/17/the-open-source-washing-machine-project/
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NathanKP
Isn't "open source" usually used for projects that include source code? Maybe
they made the original design diagrams open, but I still can't see calling it
open source if it doesn't have a microprocessor or any code running in it.

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chanux
Open Source beer, Open Source Restaurant - Neither of these have a processor
or code. But they are still called Open Source. Maybe you don't agree with
those terms too.

But taking the idea of free/open source software in to anything in real life
is an interesting trend, IMO.

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chaostheory
I disagree. Both Open Source Beer and the Open Source Restaurant have 'code',
recipes, or plans for building them:

Open Source Beer Recipe:
[http://www.opensourcebeerproject.com/2007/07/15/open-
source-...](http://www.opensourcebeerproject.com/2007/07/15/open-source-beer-
recipe-finalized/)

Open Source Restaurant: "[a] restaurant that is completely made of, and only
serves food based on the original instructables all the members on
instructables.com have made or will make." Members of Instructables.com
typically post step by step plans of what they've made.
<http://www.instructables.com/group/instructables-restaurant/>

The Open Source Washer project is a misnomer until they release the step by
step plans for building it.

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chanux
Yes, Open source beer/restaurant had _source code_ and the washing machine
doesn't have one yet (I couldn't find).

But my argument was against the idea of 'a project having to _have a
microprocessor or any code running in it_ to be an Open Source project'

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jasongullickson
I'm glad to see some brainpower being thrown at the washing machine.

I'm sure that there are a lot of smart people at the established brands
working on improving these devices but they all seem to be falling into the
"cell phone" syndrome of adding features w/o fixing the root problem (i.e.,
dropped calls).

I hope to be contributing to this or a similar project soon.

