Anyone who’s collected feedback at a tech conference knows the struggle: spotty Wi-Fi, captive portal timeouts, and flaky device drivers turning simple data gathering into an operational nightmare. This pain point inspired the creation of Open Forms—a native, local-first application designed to function without internet connectivity.

The Offline-First Imperative

Traditional web-based forms crumble when network access falters, as commonly experienced during events. As noted in the project’s announcement, hardware-specific quirks—like Ubuntu tablets failing after captive portal authentication—often force organizers to resort to mobile hotspots, locking devices and draining resources. Open Forms bypasses these hurdles entirely by operating offline, storing submissions directly on the device until networks stabilize.

Technical Architecture

The application prioritizes simplicity and resilience:
- Local Data Storage: Responses remain on-device in CSV format, avoiding external services
- JSON Configuration: Forms are defined via JSON schemas (GUI builder planned)
- Input Flexibility: Supports text entries, checkboxes, radio buttons, dates, and numeric spinners
- Multi-Tab Support: Enables simultaneous management of multiple forms
- Privacy by Default: No data leaves the device without explicit export

"With Open Forms, your data stays on your device, works without a network, and never depends on external services," emphasizes the creator, highlighting its suitability for chaotic or privacy-sensitive environments.

Roadmap and Community Call

Current features were built rapidly—over a single weekend—but the roadmap targets significant enhancements:
- Visual form builder interface
- Accessibility improvements
- Flathub distribution

For developers wrestling with event data collection, Open Forms offers a practical alternative to web-dependent tools. Its open-source nature invites community collaboration—whether through GitHub issue reporting, feature requests, or code contributions—to evolve the solution for real-world field conditions.