This post is a month late. It has been seven months since the last blog post, and a lot has happened in that time.

Coursera Problem​

In the previous post, we announced the issue with Coursera dependencies. Over the past months, we have mostly overcome that problem in the Computer Science curriculum.

• All Coursera courses in Core CS have now been replaced, either with the same course hosted on a free platform, or with a suitable alternative course or textbook.
• This was a massive undertaking, and we’re deeply grateful to everyone who contributed to identifying and evaluating replacement platforms and courses.
• The Coursera issue also caused problems in the Data Science curriculum, delaying its release.

Move to CS2023​

We also announced in the last post that we would be updating to CS2023 guidelines. A lot has been done in that regard:

• Several courses were moved to better fit CS2023.
• A couple of courses about AI were added, as coverage of the topic has grown in CS2023.
  • We remain a rigorous computer science roadmap. This does not change.
  • We will not become a “vibecoding” roadmap. AI is covered as an algorithms field, and in the last class of Core CS, LLMs are introduced as tools that experienced programmers can use.
• A long‑due Human–Computer Interaction course was added.

Moving to the New Domain​

We now have a dedicated domain: borr.dev.

• It’s short enough to say verbatim when recommending Borr to friends.
• It also allows us to provide one more way to contact the admins: admins@borr.dev.

Netlify Open Source Plan​

Hosting has migrated from GitHub Pages → Netlify.

• This unlocks automatic preview generation for pull requests, making it easier to test, review, and collaborate before merging.
• Netlify has generously granted us their Open Source plan, with generous limits that give us plenty of room to grow.
• A huge thank‑you to Netlify for supporting our project and helping us collaborate more effectively.
• This recognition shows that we are being acknowledged as a viable open source project.

Open Source Collective​

We are not a registered legal organization, nor a legal entity. But the Open Source Collective (OSC) has accepted us and now acts as our legal entity and fiscal host.

• This recognition places us among elite company: The Odin Project, Logseq, Dark Reader, LibreCAD, Jellyfin, OBS Studio, PHP Foundation, FDroid, cURL, Vue, Manjaro OS, Asahi Linux, Eleventy, Solus, Mastodon, neovim, and many more.
• This allows us to collect donations to support sustainability.
• Funds will only be used for essentials like renewing the domain and other improvements that help the project grow.
• OSC has already helped us secure the borr.dev domain.
• Donations are optional. No one should feel obligated. Every bit goes directly into strengthening the project.
• Donate via our collective: https://opencollective.com/tbp
• Budget and transactions: https://opencollective.com/tbp#category-BUDGET
• Another way to donate is through GitHub Sponsors: https://github.com/sponsors/BorrProject.
  • GitHub has native integration with the Open Source Collective, so money donated via GitHub Sponsors also goes directly to OSC, which acts as our fiscal host.
  • This means whether you donate via Open Collective or GitHub Sponsors, the funds are handled transparently and can only be used to improve the project.
• We are not seeking monetary profit. None of the admins receive donated funds. All donations go to OSC, which approves payments for submitted expenses.
• OSC has strict rules: funds can only be used to make the project better. Rules: https://docs.oscollective.org/for-hosted-member-projects/spending-money-and-getting-paid/expense-policies-and-limitations
• All transactions are transparently available on our collective page.

Governance Structure​

This was mentioned as a goal in the last blog post.

• We have now formalized a governance structure for the Borr Project.
• Governance was one of the main reasons we split from OSSU.
• We don’t think we need something very formal right now for a community of our size.
• But we now have concrete plans for how we will function once our community grows, with special emphasis on avoiding the OSSU situation.
• We are also working on an internal website documenting all services, processes, and tools. This ensures future leaders won’t face the same problems OSSU did, where knowledge was passed orally and often led to miscommunication.

Upcoming Big Curriculum Changes​

• We almost have a draft for the Data Science curriculum ready and will push it for review on GitHub in a few days.
• Overhauling the Math curriculum is in progress. We have a WIP design to restructure it into multiple pages, similar to what we did with CS and Pre‑College Math.

Plans for the Future​

Many of the tasks we set as goals in the previous post are still on our to‑do list. They haven’t been forgotten — they’re simply waiting for their turn in the spotlight. Here’s what’s coming down the pipeline:

• Developing comprehensive “Setting Up Your Development Environment” guides, inspired by The Odin Project. Because let’s face it, everyone deserves a smooth start instead of wrestling with broken installs.
• Creating a showcase board where students can share their curriculum work and projects. Think of it as our brag wall — a place to celebrate what you’ve built.
• Organizing focus groups (tutors, website maintainers, curriculum maintainers, etc.) and assigning roles. The idea is to make sure everyone knows who’s steering which ship, so we don’t end up with chaos in the harbor.
• Continuing to host more server events and group activities, because learning together is always more fun than grinding alone.

And now, let’s talk about the elephant in the room: marketing the Borr Project.

We know OSSU is still the big name out there. It’s a trusted brand, and people keep joining its server even though the community isn’t in great shape anymore. Meanwhile, Borr is stronger, fresher, and better organized — but our numbers are smaller, and word‑of‑mouth hasn’t yet caught up.

That said, the tide is turning. Recently, Borr Project was included on fmhy.net, replacing OSSU as the primary source. It’s a small step, but it’s proof that recognition is growing.

Here’s where you come in: help spread the word. Talk about Borr Project in the right places. Share it with friends, colleagues, and communities that care about open education. Every mention helps.

Together, we can make Borr Project not just an alternative to OSSU, but the go‑to roadmap for serious learners everywhere.

Closing Thoughts​

Looking back, this first year was a wild ride full of big hurdles, major wins, and constant learning. Between replacing Coursera courses, aligning with CS2023, securing borr.dev, and joining the Open Source Collective, we’ve shown that Borr is here to stay.

The energy from this community, the hard work from our contributors, and the support we've received prove we’re building something real.

Here’s to year two! Let’s keep building together.

Repos & Discord Community​

• We launched a new Docusaurus-based website. Compared to a GitHub README, it offers a significantly better user experience and allows us to organize supplementary information without clutter. Recent additions include progress tracking (inspired by The Odin Project) and global search.
• Our Discord server leverages new community features like onboarding, forums, event channels, and AutoMod. We also recently activated our server tag.
• Despite having only 91 members (at the time of writing), we observed 27% more activity in public channels over the last 6 months compared to the OSSU server.
• We held active cohort meetings with consistent participation and organized a server event around the CodinGame Summer Challenge.
• We launched our Study Hall, which gave home to numerous public study sessions and quite a few teamworks.
• Because puzzle solving is fun, we also organized an event around Advent of Code 2025. Being our most popular event at this point, it proved to be nicely balanced between competition and collaboration.
• We have started working on formalizing the governance structure of the project, and drafting the bylaws of the project. We are aiming for a governance structure that is open and collaborative, while not being too bureaucratic. We are taking inspiration from several prominent open source projects.

Curriculum​

• We promptly addressed issues with courses affected by Coursera's removal of the audit option by identifying alternative resources.
• We have seen familiar and new faces contributing to our repos, streamlining resource suggestions and fixes. The Preschool Math curriculum, for instance, received a complete overhaul.
• We avoid a strict "lecture-only" policy, embracing books, articles, and other formats. For example, we recommend Dive into Systems combined with CS:APP lectures and labs as our primary resource, keeping the CS:APP textbook as an optional supplement since it is not free. This approach, suggested before students start OSTEP, helps students plan their studies effectively in the systems programming section.
• The curriculum is actively maintained with frequent contributions on GitHub regarding courses, issues, and research suggestions. We've also added supplemental resources to many courses.
• We have started the work of moving the CS curriculum to CS2023 guidelines, from the older CS2013 guidelines. We are having discussions on this topic in a dedicated channel on the discord server.

Roadmap for the Next 6 Months​

Beyond gathering user feedback and adapting to community needs, our key goals for the next half-year include:

• Developing comprehensive "Setting Up Your Development Environment" guides, inspired by The Odin Project.
• Creating a showcase board for students to share their curriculum work and projects.
• Hosting more server events and group activities.
• Completing the formalization of the governance structure and the bylaws.
• Organizing focus groups (tutors, website maintainers, curriculum maintainers, etc.) and assigning roles.
• And marketing! We plan to announce the Borr Project on Reddit, Hacker News, and the wider internet to acquire more users.

Join us in building a place where we can all geek out and learn together!

For years, the Open-Source Society University (OSSU) Computer Science curriculum has been an invaluable resource, positively impacting countless lives. It fostered a vibrant community, rich with industry professionals, academics, and engaged students who collaborated and learned together. However, over time, the OSSU community has faced challenges, leading to a decline in collaboration and engagement. Many of the individuals who contributed significantly to its strength have moved on, and the current administrative structure has introduced friction and delays.

We believe in the power of open education and the strength of a truly collaborative community. That's why we, a group of former OSSU staff members and active community contributors, are excited to announce the Borr Project—a fork designed to revitalize and advance the OSSU computer science curriculum, both academically and as a community.

Our Vision for Borr Project​

The core of Borr Project's vision is a commitment to decentralized, collaborative leadership. Unlike the current single-director model, Borr Project will adopt an open-source governance structure, drawing inspiration from other successful projects. This means:

• Community-led Development: Decisions and initiatives will be driven by the community, fostering a more responsive and agile environment.
• Reduced Bureaucracy: We aim to minimize unnecessary processes, empowering contributors to implement meaningful changes efficiently.
• Enhanced Collaboration: We will actively cultivate an environment where new ideas can flourish and diverse contributions are welcomed and encouraged.

Moving Forward: Key Initiatives and Future Plans​

Our immediate focus for Borr Project includes a number of key initiatives to improve the learning experience and rebuild a thriving community:

• Revitalized Online Presence: We're developing a proper, user-friendly website using Docusaurus, featuring improved SEO and accessibility, to make the curriculum more discoverable and navigable.
• Richer Learning Resources:
  • Creating video content showcasing projects built throughout the curriculum.
    • Expanding and refining course pages for greater clarity and depth.
    • Developing comprehensive "Setting Up Your Development Environment" guides, similar to The Odin Project's excellent resources.
    • Adding extra practice problems with automated checks (e.g., using check50) for a more interactive learning experience.
• Rebuilding Community Engagement: We're excited to re-introduce and expand community initiatives that were previously difficult to implement, such as:
  • Regular online community meet-ups and events.
    • Collaborative projects and study groups.
    • Mentorship opportunities and avenues for peer support.

These are just a few of the many ideas our collective of former OSSU staff and contributors are eager to bring to life. We believe in empowering the community to shape the future of open-source computer science education.

Our Commitment​

Before embarking on this new path, we, as former staff, did raise our concerns regarding the direction and administrative structure of OSSU with its leadership. Ultimately, these discussions did not lead to the necessary changes. With no active moderators currently present in the OSSU community, we, the former staff who remain committed to the original spirit of open-source education, have come together to establish Borr Project.

We invite all former OSSU community members, new learners, and anyone passionate about accessible, high-quality computer science education to join us. The Borr Project is a fresh start, built on the principles of collaboration, innovation, and community empowerment.

Stay tuned for updates as we build Borr Project together!