TikiFest in Barcelona

These people are not here in Barcelona to enjoy the beach or to go sightseeing. Everyone here is  dedicated in what’s called open-source software. So what does open-source mean? In a nutshell it means a computer program or web application can be created, shared and modified freely by many people across the Internet and contributed back.

And here at the TikiWiki project people are doing exactly that… coming up with new ideas for  open-source software… a gathering called TikiFest.

[Marc Laporte, Admin, TikiWiki Project]:
“Basically TikiFest is a live event where people meet in real person... we're basically building collaborative online tools but it’s good to meet as well. Basically back in 2003, the project started in 2002 but in 2003 the first TikiFest was held and since then there’ve been about 35 TikiFests.”

Jonny Bradley is a software developer from London. He’s been contributing to the TikiWiki project for three years now. He explains what he likes the most about it.

[Jonny Bradley, Software Developer]:
“Mainly the way... there is no kind of leader. There is no sort of top level group, leading people to do everything. It is very fluid and flexible and everyone is quite equal.”

[Marc Laporte, Admin, TikiWiki Project]:
“What we are, it’s called do-ocracy. Basically people participate, they do things and by doing things, they decide what’s gonna happen.”

The TikiWiki project isn’t only for professional computer experts.

[Regis Barondeau, Social Media Consultant]:
“It was a bit weird at the beginning because I am not a coder. I don’t know how to write one line of code but I am end user and experimented user of the tool. I use the tool with my clients and it opened for me a lot of new opportunities.”

And what does being a part of TikiWiki mean to Marc Laporte?
 
[Marc Laporte, Admin, TikiWiki Project]:
“I think that in the beginning when I started using open source software it was mostly as a user. Basically I had a project I was helping to some non-profits and I needed a tool to accelerate. So basically you’re ‘taking,’ you’re using open source. But at one point, I think it’s important, if it happens… some people have to share back, some people have to participate. So I felt that it was a good project, good place for me to help out. You know every month when you have thousands of downloads it feels good to know that there’re thousands of people every month downloading the software and somehow it’s helping them to do whatever they’re trying to do, whatever community, they’re trying to get together, whatever project they’re trying to accomplish.”

As time was running out for the TikiFest in Barcelona and people had to say goodbye to some of the participants, a new TikiFest in Brazil is already being planned.

This is Vladka Maskova, NTD, Barcelona, Spain.
(Background music by Pepe Camacho)