Re: Documentation Standards was Re: [ox-en] UserLinux
- From: Martin Hardie <auskadi tvcabo.co.mz>
- Date: Sat, 6 Dec 2003 09:01:11 +0200
On Saturday 06 December 2003 00:03, Niall Douglas wrote:
Some programmers, who regrettably appear to be concentrated within
certain parts of the free software movement, take the view that
computer programming should be returned to a medieval tradecraft
whereby the tradesperson holds all of their skill in memory and
experience and form guilds to maintain it not becoming public
knowledge. Needless to say, anything approaching reasonable
documentation is a distinct no-no.
This strikes me as a very interesting point. For some time I have had in the
back of mind that all the talk about free and the source is fine if you
belong to the technically elite - the new class that along with its allies in
legal academia are fast becoming one layer of law/control within the net.
It seems that free as speech as in FLOSS then really means free within that
elite - and that those who are not within the elite (who are not technically
minded) are beholden to the closed knowledge kept in the new monastries of
cycberspace.
Echoes of The Name of the Rose and digital poison for those that transgress
upon that sacred knowledge and power?
Martin
ps but of course I am bening difficult again beacuse as we all know
information wants to be free (pass em a bucket someone)
its all about power and who holds ita nd who is beholden - is it not?
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http://openflows.org/~auskadi/
"Mind you, I am not asking you to bear witness to what you believe false,
which would be a sin, but to testify falsely to what you believe true - which
is a virtuous act because it compensates for lack of proof of something
that certainly exists or happened." Bishop Otto to Baudolino in Umberto Eco's
Baudolino.
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