Open-Source Release #693

Dear maintainers,

thank you for providing free access to this great tool!

I would like to propose releasing it as Free Open-Source Software (FOSS).

This, in my humble opinion, would bring several big advantages, both to you as the maintainer of this project and to its end users:

• Transparency - By allowing users and developers to review and amend the codebase, VitalDB would gain trust in the medical community, as everyone could see and verify how VitalDB works.
• Security - The story of Andreas Freund aka 'The Man Who Saved the Internet' (https://thegeekinsights.com/how-a-hacker-saved-the-internet/) illustrates how professionals can identify critical security vulnerabilities before they escalate into serious problems. Given that VitalDB is intended for use in one of the most critical settings—healthcare—enabling security professionals to freely review the code can help prevent bad actors from exploiting vulnerabilities that could harm patients.
• Collaboration and Innovation - Users with ideas for certain functions could implement these and publish these new functions, steadily expanding and refining VitalDB's functionality.
• Customization - Users with niche use cases could tailor certain features of VitalDB to meet their specific requirements. These custom functions could then be incorporated into the codebase, providing ready-made solutions for others with similar needs.
• Community Support -  Unfortunately, the current documentation has several gaps (e.g., undocumented functions, lack of translations into languages other than English). Opening the source code and documentation would enable end users to contribute their diverse experiences, enriching the project with multilingual documentation, tips, and tricks. This, in turn, would allow more potential users to evaluate and utilize VitalDB, furthering the cycle of improvement.
• Interoperability - Open-source software can be extended and customized to facilitate better integration into existing environments and interface with various devices. Given the heterogeneous nature of the medical device field, interfacing with different devices can be challenging. Once a user configures VitalDB to work with a specific device, they could share their findings with the community, helping others avoid similar difficulties.
• Ethical Considerations - The use of highly sensitive medical data poses many ethical challenges. Relying on closed-source programs for processing and storing this data may deter potential users, as not knowing exactly how software handles patient data can be an unacceptable risk. Opening the codebase allows everyone to review how patient data is managed and make informed decisions based on their findings.
• Educational Opportunities - Open-source software enables users to study and tinker with the code, fostering learning and practical experience in software development—a skill increasingly valuable across professions, especially in technical fields like intensive care medicine or anesthesiology.
• Shared Development - Opening your source code would spread the work of maintaining and developing VitalDB across many users. This collaborative approach would alleviate the burden of managing the extensive codebase, allowing you to focus on the bigger picture of where you want VitalDB to go.

I ask you to consider these arguments and would like to invite you to do your own research on the advantages (and potential disadvantages) of open-source software.

I am conviced that it would be a great opportunity for you as well as the medical community as a whole.

I would love to discuss these points further and hear your thoughts on the potenial of open-sourcing VitalDB.

Thank you and kind regards,

C. Fuchs