[ox-en] OSS / Free Software debate re-run on slashdot.org
- From: Chris Croome <chris croome.net>
- Date: Tue, 4 Feb 2003 22:58:09 +0000
Hi
I have just been doing some moderating on this so I can't post,
there are a few good points being made:
5th Anniversary of Open Source
http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=03/02/04/1918243
Re:Do you make your own clothes?
by lenski (96498)
I am Not an economist... I AM a longtime software developer...
Moore's law has allowed, for what may be one of the first times in
history, the de-insdustrialization of a major economic product:
Computer software. When I started 30+ years ago, computer access was
for the dedicated geek (this I know... :-) ). A DEC PDP-8 cost 10
grand. Its 2.5 Mbyte RK05 was an additional 9 grand.
Today, just about anyone can afford a crappy little out-of-date
400+MHz, 256Mbyte, 20+gig system, which can make a single individual
developer economically productive.
Coupled with The Internet, such people can virtually gather together
to be economically more productive.
This has caught all sorts of people by surprise, and those who are
accustomed to simply "managing" or "owning" the means of production
have been caught flat-footed by this sea-change in the possession of
economic productivity. (I think this is why the OSS/libre software
movement is critically important for the developing world, and why I
wish that I had enough savings to stop working for money today in
order to make a real contribution...)
One of the points (in my opinion) that we must remember is that
there are people and/or organizations what want to return to the
days when the few could control the resources required for economic
productivity of the many.
FYI, I am using agricultural societies (exemplified by feudalism, as
observed in places like Europe) and industrial society as basis for
this thinking.
I am not a communist, but I will refuse to ever allow someone else
to take away my freedom to code, and additionally, to team up with
others of like mind to satisfy our needs for information systems
productivity.
http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=52795&cid=5226375
Re:Do you make your own clothes?
by ch-chuck (9622)
A better analogy would be, do we DESIGN our own cloths, automobiles.
And, as a matter of fact my mom has made lots of cloths. She used to
run the sewing machines a lot. Now she knits. Man she knits up a
storm. Every night I sleep under these incredibly warm afghans
lovingly made while she watched TV. Most of those cloths and
patterns were, however, purchased plans, kits, etc.
Anyway, It's not at all inconceivable that a group of Ford
engineers, in their spare time, make a 'dream design' automobile
THAT THEY SHARE WITH ANYONE WHO WANTS A COPY. Say they work by day
to earn a living, but are unhappy with the 'cost reducing' and
shipping lousy products because of a n agressive marketing deadline.
So they get together at Billy's Bar and Brainstorm and dream up the
ultimate street rod, draw up plans most any shade tree mechanic can
follow and publish it in Hot Rod, sell plans for mostly cost of
reproduction. Sure, why not.
DO I Make my own recipies? Sure, I like to experiment in the
kitches. They are usually derivities of someone elses (someone
better at it than me!). There's plenty of 'do it yourself' people
around.
To me it's all a matter of being independant. The thing that scares
me the most is becoming dependant on some greedy a$$hole, with no
alternative but to pay what they demand or die. They do want to
enslave you, and freedom is a constant struggle, because there has
always been greedy, domineering, petty tirants, in business and
government, just like there have always been obsequious sheep ready
to follow them to the slaughterhouse.
http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=52795&cid=5226292
Chris
--
http://chris.croome.net/
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