Welcome to BITS Goa, batch of 2018! This address is meant to inform you about the OSD Lab, and tell you about the exciting opportunities that await you on campus. Here is a message from one of our founders about some of our ideas and vision for the future - and how you can be a part of it.

The Open Source Development Lab

The OSD Lab was formally “incorporated” sometime in 2016. Within just a few months of operation, we had already released several projects. Despite having just 10 members, the OSD Lab built fest websites for Waves and Quark, released Encore - an intra campus music streaming service, conducted a highly reviewed course to supplement CS F111: Computer Programming, and designed Open-Sesame, a cross-platform autologin solution for campus internet.

We remain an extremely small and focused group even today, quietly working on our projects outside of the spotlight.

Modus Operandi

The OSD Lab is fundamentally different from other student groups on campus. We are lucky not to be a club or department - therefore our work is completely unimpeded by bureaucratic red-tape. We have a completely different style of funtioning too. We have no designated route for induction, and we don’t require you to work for us. In essence, the OSD Lab does not ask you to invest your efforts into the group.

We instead function with a unique blend of individual and collective responsibility. The Open Source Development Lab will invest in you, rather than the other way round. We define our success not by popularity, but by the achievements of our members - the fruition of our investment in them. We provide complete autonomy for members to pursue their own projects, by themselves. The group only provides support, guidance, and mentorship as and when you require. The only requirements are that your work be shared with other members of the group in a sustainable, open-sourced manner. This in turn allows our guidance to be personalised, and leads to a phenomenal development in skill and ability.

The results of this model have been astounding so far. Every single OSD Labs member who applied to the GSoC program got accepted - we have an impressive track record of 100% acceptance. The three initial founding members of the group have now dispersed to world renowned universities in pursuit of their goals - MIT, CMU, and NTU (Institutions globally ranked 1st, 3rd, and 16th respectively). Few organisations possess such impressive credentials. If you join the Open Source Development Lab, you are free to pursue your own work, independently, and through the Lab’s support, through our investment in your growth and the development of your skill, I can foresee even greater success for you.

A Revival?

I often hear people wondering what the latest developments at the OSD Lab are. Since the Open Source Development Lab doesn’t conduct any promotions, publicity campaigns, or recruitment drives, it is easy to miss the incredible work we do and the opportunities we present. Our decision to refrain from this is a very thoughtful and conscious one. The OSD Lab doesn’t define its success by popularity or money, but by the achievements of its members. We do not plan to host competitions for various prizes or provide opportunities for outings or celebrations for our members. We are simply a group of people that love open source software development. It defines us, and that’s what we do.

In a sense then, the title of this post - A Revival, is just lip service. The OSD Lab has been active since inception, it is only our social media outreach that is in need of this revival. This post is meant instead to document some of our processes, invite criticism, and most importantly ask you - the future generation of BITSians - to join us at the OSD Lab, and build upon our work so far.

As the initial OSD Labs students become alumni, it is upto you to become part of BITS Goa’s vibrant student community of developers, designers, and innovators.

The Next Step

The next step is not in our hands - it’s in yours! Join us and become part of the wonderful Open Source Community at BITS Goa, and watch it transform your future!