[Discuss] OSHW Best Practices / Layers of Openness

[Cameron Adamez]

What ramifications does this rigamarole have for individuals, hobbyists, students, artists, etc? 
Certifications are great but if using the logo means that you have to pay someone to use this, even OSHWA, it seems counter-intuitive.

Also, does this mean that simply having schematics and CAD files on a website is not sufficient?

-Cameron Adamez
(a layperson who enjoys electronics)
suspectdevices.com

On Feb 27, 2013, at 7:03 AM, Marco Perry <mperry at pensanyc.com> wrote:

> Some considerations for trusted certification brands for me would be:
> It has to come from an authoritative organization made of subject mater experts. In other words, if the brand of authority is strong, so is the certification like AIA and LEED. 
>>> For products, an OSHW Certification label must have a brand value that adds a positive halo to a manufacturer's own branded product - think American Dental Assoc. on toothpaste, FSC on wood, LEED on buildings. If OSHW Certification is meaningless ("all natural" on food labels), tarnished (think MSC for fish) or too small to be recognized, then it will become irrelevant. This means, you have to treat it like it is its own brand, that needs protection, promotion, adoption by leaders, strong advocates with conviction that speak to its cause, and so on. You already have a lot of these attributes among the existing community, and it will be stronger if the average joe also knows what OSHW stands for. Imagine if a large retailer demands products must be OSHW certified, much like Home Depot insisting their wood is FSC certified, then OSHWA will have an influence. 
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