[ox-en] Re: Equality and Free Software

• From: Martin Hardie <auskadi tvcabo.co.mz>
• Date: Mon, 9 Feb 2004 06:17:31 +0200

On Monday 09 February 2004 00:08, Stefan Merten wrote:

Hi Martin, Mako, list!

4 days ago Benj Mako Hill wrote:

On Wed, Feb 04, 2004 at 06:14:55AM [PHONE NUMBER REMOVED], Martin Hardie wrote:

This point of Niall's deserves further discussion. The source is
useless if you haven't got the skills to use it. The result is that
the free in FLOSS in this respect is free only to a technical elite.

I agree completely. It's clearly a major problem and one that's close
to my heart.

If I understand correctly the basis of this point is the demand that
all people should be equal. Right? The way you put it means that all
people should have even equal abilities - which is a more concrete
version of this demand.

I don't think thereis a demand contained in my note. And even if there was it 
was not about all people being equal. I am not even sure what that might mean 
anymore.

But if there is a demand it is that some people should recognise that Floss 
may be "free" or "open" in the sense that the source code is available but 
this is only a "freedom" that is available to a techno elite. Most peole I 
know don't even kow what Linux is, let alone have any idea that the source 
code will make them free.....

OK? 

Martin


-- 
                   
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
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.

_______________________
http://www.oekonux.org/

• References:
  • Equality and Free Software (was: Re: [ox-en] Germ of a new form of society or germ of a new form of business?)
    • From: Stefan Merten

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