The human side of open source work
A few weeks ago a demo by zodiepupper expanded into casual conversation and touched on various challenges and reasons for being involved in open source. As the weekly community meetings are recorded, we were able to capture and summarize the conversation here.
Read more: The human side of open source workBeyond the Code: Authenticity, Decentralization, and the indie hustle at OMI
While many conversations about open technology focus strictly on code, our recent conversation highlighted that creating a resilient metaverse is equally about human interoperability, community, and sheer creative willpower—even when survival means living on rice and vegetable dip.
Attendees included indiebio, Zodiepupper, AvatarJoy, and Aaron Franke (Godot Engine), who collectively explored conference strategy, the realities of academic funding, all while demonstrating cutting-edge decentralized VR development.
1. The Human Layer: Finding Power in Authenticity
The meeting opened with a candid discussion on networking and community building. Members reflected on the struggle to balance genuine personality with the expectations of professional engagement.
Zodiepupper noted that sincerity naturally fosters strong connections: “People really do appreciate, like, just being yourself. Just being authentic. A lot of people perceive that as very charismatic, because then the consistency is important.”
Indiebio agreed with the necessity of authenticity, but added a note of pragmatism, acknowledging that personal traits sometimes need modulation for effective collaboration: “I 100% believe in authenticity, but I think tailoring those [interactions] because my natural personality is actually very overpowering and like, borderline rude. If I was authentic, I think that would just be too much for a lot of people. It’s a balance.”
This sentiment underlines a core tenet of open source collaboration: success isn't just about code quality; it's about mutual respect and sustainable human connection.
2. OMI: Philosophical Foundation for Concrete Action
The group briefly addressed a recent tongue-in-cheek comment describing OMI as "more philosophical than action-oriented." This led to a clarification of OMI’s core mission:
“We don’t build the projects as OMI—we support people building projects.”
— indiebio
This philosophy frames OMI not as a centralized development organization, but as a supportive ecosystem where individuals and teams can pursue groundbreaking open projects.
This mandate ties directly into the group’s plans for the upcoming OpenSimulator Community Conference (OSCC), where indiebio is coordinating a panel submission. The working title, “Nurturing the health of a metaverse ecosystem,” perfectly reflects OMI's focus on sustainable community design.
3. The Precarious Reality of the Open Developer Hustle
The financial realities of independent and academic open source work formed an unexpectedly humorous interlude. Indiebio shared the challenging paradox of securing a large (>$1M) research grant that includes no personal salary, and as they are not formally employed by the leading institution, this necessitates an application for external post-doctoral funding and exploring other avenues.
The discussion quickly turned into a relatable moment of solidarity regarding the "indie developer diet."
“Yeah, eating and having the ability to pay your rent is always nice.”
— AvatarJoy“Honestly, lately, I’ve been eating nothing but rice and, like, blended veggie dip stuff. Rice is good.”
— Zodiepupper
This lighthearted moment underscores the deep personal sacrifice and determination required by contributors who prioritize open standards and creative freedom over conventional corporate stability.
4. Project Spotlight: Bark VR’s Decentralized Resilience
The second half of the meeting pivoted to action, featuring a live demo of Zodiepupper’s open-source Godot-based VR environment, Bark VR. This project serves as a compelling proof point for OMI's goals, focusing heavily on decentralization and user resilience.
Driven by frustrating experiences with centralized platforms (such as a community meltdown in NeosVR that shattered social support networks), Bark VR is engineered for uncensorable, user-owned social space.
Zodiepupper explained the architecture:
- Networking: The system utilizes Matrix for user management (providing protocol bridging and decentralized identity) and the Iro library for peer-to-peer session communication, eschewing central game servers.
- Persistence: The network is designed using Paxos-style distributed state machine logic, ensuring that if any single user disconnects (even the session originator), the world state is maintained across remaining clients.
“The main reason that I came on [Bark VR] was to make something that can’t happen to [others]. I just want it to basically never be able to be taken down.”
— Zodiepupper
A Push for Universal Accessibility
A major design priority highlighted in the demo was accessibility. Zodiepupper emphasized the need for XR interfaces that require only one hand, referencing friends and clients who face physical disabilities.
The discussion broadened into the current oversight in XR development: “The fact that someone who’s blind still has to strap two heavy displays onto their face just to be able to participate in VR… those are the people who should be able to be present.” (Lyuma)
Indiebio summarized the powerful universality of inclusive design:
“Honestly, designing for people who need accessibility considerations makes it better for all of us, because I struggle in VR and I would like to have things that are a little bit more relaxed. It would make it better for all of us.”
— indiebio
Get Involved
The OMI group is a welcoming space for anyone interested in the technical, philosophical, and cultural components of building an open metaverse. Whether you are leading a million-euro project, maintaining core open standards, or just getting by on rice and veggie dip while pursuing a dream, your contributions and insights matter.
Next Steps & Opportunities:
- OSCC Proposals: Submissions are closing soon for the OpenSimulator Community Conference (OSCC) on December 6th & 7th. Contact the group if you wish to participate alongside OMI. We also organise events occasionally, and have informal demos each week.
- Contribute: Projects like Bark VR, the glTF extensions and the Godot project are actively seeking contributors and collaborators to accelerate development and testing.
Join the conversation and help us ensure the open metaverse is built on foundations of resilience, authenticity, and universal access.