> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://book.costoffreedom.cc/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://book.costoffreedom.cc/index-1/what-is-open.md).

# What is Open?

> [Richard Goodman](https://github.com/costoffreedom/costoffreedom-book/tree/2206d40f4fbd41d7489de1da00d444b3d56f0f0a/book/appendix/attributions.html#richard-goodman)

> After looking at “Open is not a License”, I decided to take a look at some of the definitions of the noun “open” in the dictionary, and was inspired to write a short poem around what “open” might mean to people. This poem is dedicated to my own poetry inspiration, my father Don Goodman, who passed away in March 2015 at the age of 75.

What is open?\
Is it a gap or a space?\
Is it something in public?\
Or a practice we chase?

Open is unenclosed\
It is an expanse\
Did we get here by planning?\
Or merely by chance?

Open is an opportunity\
A chance to broaden the mind\
Free tools and resources\
To benefit all of mankind

Open is an aperture\
Something you look through\
Access for all\
Not just the few

Open is a cavern\
A vast empty space\
A new way of working\
Falling into place

Open is a competition\
That anyone can enter\
A growing global movement\
With sharing at its centre


---

# Agent Instructions
This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com.

## Querying This Documentation
If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter:

```
GET https://book.costoffreedom.cc/index-1/what-is-open.md?ask=<question>&goal=<endgoal>
```

`ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
`goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal.

The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.
