Guys, I know we're programmers, but I feel as if the community doesn't get it. Not just code needs to be free - But UX, as well. We need to allow programmers to innovate different UIs on top of our applications. Packaging UI + Data + Platform is awesome, but it's unsustainble. We need to think bigger.
We need to separate user's data from the platform (web3-esque, but it's too complicated for me). Let people store the data wherever they want, so that they can move freely between apps. Remember email? now we're stuck with whatsapp. Whatsapp had VC funding, open source doesn't. The only way to survive is to allow interoperability. We need to separate UI from platform. Have some stock UI, and let users and power users extend the UI. It's very hard to do good UI + UX as open source. We need to first and foremost allow a community to form around our open source, so that people create their own solutions on top of ours.
I have so many qualms with today's apps. There are so many things that could have been done. A lot of products get acquired and (to the outside world it appears that) they stop developing their product completly, or development is constrainted by business model. We could do better, We can better, and frankly, I think we're obligated to do just a little little bit better.
This is a list of apps / libraries / integrations I would like to see happen, and willing to collaborate to bring into existence.
(As time goes by, I plan on expanding the list and elaborating on each item so that you, the reader, can get the most inforamtion, with friction of contacting me before you feel you absolutely must to :)