Remember Freeware?

 Even though #throwbackthursday has passed, I can’t help but go back to my digital past as I think through the concepts for this course.  When reviewing things like open educational resources and the Dennen and Ward article about it in the context of microlearning, I recall the days of freeware.  Do you remember?

 
The free internet service providers did send out their fair share of freeware, but several applications were available for everyone to use for no cost - word processors, photo editors, audio players.  Many of us average Internet consumers avidly downloaded and used these products, pleased to save the hundreds of dollars for the fancy software.  We pinned this movement of generosity to the idea of open-source: the concept that the Information will not be powered by money-driven motivations but an altruistic, higher calling.  Not completely outside of capitalism; more like if we all share things like software we can make money together.  Additionally, freeware was the advent of the ad-embedded experience.  Hey, your antivirus software is free…just share a bit of visual space with an ad for this other product.  Don’t like it?  Well…you could pay.

Comparing to OER, the altruism of sharing education resources with Creative Commons licenses is noble.  Of all spaces, educating people should have flexibility in sharing intellectual property.  That is not to discount the need for creators to make money; much like freeware, the hope is that OER creators can also create content that reserves rights and can be chargeable.  Moreover, one of the best OER platforms in my opinion is YouTube.  With video, chiefly short-form video, reigning supreme as a communication medium, YouTube’s cup runs over with readily available researched educational content.  

Crash Course is one of my favorite sources.  Run by author and influencer Hank Green, the channel presents educational and current events in an engaging format threading an important balance between informative and entertaining.  The creative approach is popular among educators and is funded by the YouTube ad scheme and (most recently) coin sales.  The classic approach of ad revenue funding the resource isn’t as intriguing as the coin model.  This could be the future for funding educational content: channeling consumer dollars to keep the educational lights on.  

The causes — open-source, freeware, OER — are noble.  Every designer should both embrace the open resource concept and in becoming produsers contribute to the space.  Even though there’s real cost in it, the benefits for the greater community outweigh it.  There are so many challenges in our society today (especially in the age of pandemic) that suffer from lack of knowledge.  And the cure is offered free of charge.

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