Open source

Obama’s Facebook messenger bot is now “Open Source” and available on GitHub

The bot has been assigned the task to interact with people and receive messages on behalf of the President. These messages are similar to the paper letters President Obama reads every day. The government chatbot serves on the Facebook page of the White House.

Taking their “meet the public where they are” mission a step further, the White House announced that they’re open sourcing the Drupal Module for the President’s messenger bot with a hope that other governments and developers can take advantage of the technology.

What is Open Source?

The term originated in the context of software development to designate a specific approach to creating computer programs. Today, however, "open source" designates a broader set of values—what we call "the open source way." Open source projects, products, or initiatives embrace and celebrate principles of open exchange, collaborative participation, rapid prototyping, transparency, meritocracy, and community-oriented development.

 

What is open source software?