Re: Documentation Standards was Re: [ox-en] UserLinux
- From: "Niall Douglas" <s_fsfeurope2 nedprod.com>
- Date: Mon, 08 Dec 2003 03:24:35 -0000
On 7 Dec 2003 at 9:26, Raj Mathur wrote:
Niall> However, I do not think information wants to be free. Nor
Niall> do I think it /should/ be free because those who put in
Niall> effort to create it must be rewarded. To create outstanding
Niall> information at the fastest pace requires reward - thus to
Niall> achieve a better society quicker, we must reward the Niall>
creator.
Sure.
And the rewards need not be money, they can include any or all of:
Absolutely - the more the better. However, money reward motivates the
most people - some shocking percentage of UK workers hate their job
but keep doing it because of money.
Niall> Otherwise, we can consign ourselves to inevitable collapse
Niall> of our society, economy and ultimately, civilisation as
Niall> what we're doing right now is not sustainable.
Tangible goods will always trade for money (unless the socialists
actually manage to ``take over the world''). Services will probably
always trade for money. All we're talking about is making information
(software, documentation, music, fiction) free. I see no reason why
that should lead to the collapse of any society, economy or
civilisation.
Firstly, the bretton woods global economic structure is already
straining heavily at the seams and at best, it could not possibly
last another thirty years. It will collapse - think-tanks concluded
this in the 1970's and there is quiet but well-funded research
ongoing into what the future should be and how to ease the current
system into it. Unfortunately, the current US administration would
prefer to believe it's still 100 years ago and ignore reality and
without their cooperation, we've been backtracking :(
Secondly, our society's progress is becoming ever more dependent on
information - we are in the information age. Eliminate incentive to
produce & share good quality information and you seriously endanger
the ability of society to progress. We're not done yet by any means,
but it is a concern. More importance should be attached to the
quality of information available publicly, though for very obvious
reasons the powers-that-be will try to prevent this.
Cheers,
Niall
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