[ox-en] Free Software & Anarchism -- Does this compute?
- From: Stefan Merten <smerten oekonux.de>
- Date: Fri, 06 Jan 2006 12:09:57 +0100
Hi list!
During 22C3 one of the most interesting presentations for Oekonux
probably has been a talk given by Sandro Gaycken titled "Free Software
& Anarchism -- Does this compute?". All Oekonuxis which attended the
talk found it very interesting :-) .
I asked Sandro whether he'd like to discuss it here. He liked this
idea and is now on this list and looks forward to a fruitful
discussion.
Included is a plain text version converted from Sandro's slides.
Mit Freien Grüßen
Stefan
PS: This is very interesting for me personally because this goes to my
personal political roots. Actually I never looked at this whole
topic the way Sandro did :-) .
--- 8< --- 8< --- 8< --- 8< --- 8< --- 8< --- 8< --- 8< --- 8< --- 8< ---
=========================
Free Software & Anarchism
=========================
Does this compute?
==================
by Sandro Gaycken, IWT-Bielefeld
sandro DOT gaycken AT iwt DOT uni-bielefeld DOT de
~~~~~
The Connotation: Free Software and Anarchism
============================================
* *Industrialized* Development:
* Corporate interests
* Hierarchically ordered
* By leadership
* Expensive
* Secret
* *Free* Development:
* Users interests
* Not hierarchically ordered
* By consensus
* Cheap
* Open
~~~~~
* *Anarchical* elements:
* No leadership or hierarchies
* Consensus-based
* Individual design options
* Open for participation
* *Negative* notions (FUD-initiative/Microsoft):
* Orderlessness
* No stability
* No quality
~~~~~
*Politicization*
* Openness implied:
* New models of business & production
* Connections to communities
* New concepts of ownership & copyright
* Challenges fundamental social structures
* Thus easily extensible to social reform and "revolution"
* Open X-initiatives, Oekonux, institutions
~~~~~
References to anarchy:
Free software development
* "Is a step toward the post-scarcity world" -- Stallman
* "Counterfeits anarchical methods" -- Milsom
* "Has anarchists benefits" -- Moglen
* "Is an anarchist mode of communication" - Vaidhyanathan
* ...plus some bad ones
~~~~~
*Preliminary* criticism of the connotation:
* Not a genuine anarchical program
* No references to anarchical theories
* Rather metaphorical uses so far
* Rather colloquial understanding
* Rather superficial connection
*Is Free Software really anarchical?*
~~~~~
Anarchism & Anarchical Technology
=================================
How can *technology be political*?
* as part of the productive force
* as medialising power structures
* as technically demanding/predetermining certain structures for
political/social actions (inherent necessities)
* as a conceptual or ideological paradigm
* ...
~~~~~
*Politically aware* construction of technology::
Supportive Technology
^
| construct
v
Political Ideals
|
| discard
v
Destructive Technology
*Primary goal* of Anarchism:
*Individual liberty which is only limited
by the liberty of others*
~~~~~
*Negative* freedom (I. Berlin): Abolition of..
* Authoritarianism & hierarchies of all sorts, implicit or explicit
* Inequalities
* Capitalism, Competition, ...
*Positive* demands:
* Self-determination
* Decentralisation
* Communities in free association
* Free agreement
~~~~~
*What is an anarchical technology?*
It's a technology which supports the positive anarchical
demands while trying to abolish the menaces stated
in the negative demands.
~~~~~
*Minimal* demands:
* *Power structures*: not medialising power principles
* *Size and proportion*: fitted to decentralized, local demands and a
few workers
* *Complexity and needed skill*: fitted to little organization,
training and maintenance
* *Ressources*: fitted to local ressources wt little energy and
infrastructure
~~~~~
*Maximal* demands:
* *Full automation* and full mechanization of an production
* *Fully sustainable* local production, *renewable* energies and no
pollution
* Emergence of *"positive" technologies*
* which allow people "to further develop their creative and human
potentials" (Bookchin)
* which proliferate "autonomous and creative intercourse among
persons" (Illich)
~~~~~
*Negative* example:
A large steel factory compound...
* many workers
* hierarchical order, decisionmakers, specialists
* only one product
* sophisticated ressources, energy and infrastructure
* a big market
*Positive* example:
A sun furnace...
* just a few workers
* only basic organization
* no special skills to operate
* a variety of products
* little ressources, energy and infrastructure
* works for local demands
~~~~~
The Case of Free Software
=========================
Free software *as a technology*:
* Is a component of *computers*
Computer *production* demands:
* Division of labour
* Hierarchies
* Global ressource infrastructures
* High energies
* Big markets
~~~~~
*Use* presupposes:
* Money
* Energy, Infrastructure
* Specialists for maintenance
*Other* characteristics:
* Predetermined in its possible uses
* Often medializes power (The lost war?)
* Proliferating social and ideological paradigms regarding hierarchy,
authority, .. (i.e. information - experts)
~~~~~
Free Software *as a technological design method*:
* Is partly anarchical because:
* Consensus based
* Unguided (except for internal logic)
* Individually variable
* Open
* (Non-profit)
~~~~~
*But* freedom is *enframed by*:
* Rules (implicit Do's 'n' Dont's, Copyleft: GPL, CreativeCommons, ..)
* Often implicit hierarchical structures
* Requires specialist knowledge
* Often capitalist measurements
* Software as a technology
~~~~~
**Free Software is not a genuine anarchical technology!**
* As a technology: it happens only in computers which need *extensive
capitalistic production* methods, are still *luxury commodities* and
often *medialize power*
* As a design method: it is enframed by *rules* and *implicit
hierarchies* and only accessible by *specialists*
~~~~~
A Demonstrative Value
=====================
*Capitalists & authoritarianists* argue:
"Effective production & development need hierarchical structures,
competition and financial stimulus"
Free Software has demonstrated the opposite:
*Quality and productivity do not need interest in profit, competition
or authoritative structures!*
~~~~~
*Free Software* as a case study against the alleged connection of
production/ development and profit and authority
Supported *claim*:
A non-capitalistic, non-hierarchical society is productive, probably
even more so.
Free software is *politically valuable as a case study* , but not
political itself!
~~~~~
Ideas for Anarchical Computing
==============================
*Other ideas* can be developed out of the demands for anarchical
technology:
* Further liberate free software by *abandoning rules & implicit
hierarchies* and by..
* Making programs & programming *a lot easier* so *everyone* can
participate (un-expertise)
* Writing *free machine software* which works on specific production
machines to free communities from company dependence
~~~~~
* Designing *free (= patent free) hardware* which embodies anarchical
principles to promote anarchical communities
* Designing *sabotage* software and devices enabling people to
sabotage surrounding technologies they do not approve of (Hacking
for Everyone)
~~~~~
*Opening up the choice to sabotage:*
* Slightly helps people to control inherent necessities in political
and social contexts
* Allows people to de-medialize power structures around them
* Gives people more choices towards technological determinism
* Has strong and substantial demonstrative value as social protest
against technological determinism
_________________________________
Web-Site: http://www.oekonux.org/
Organization: http://www.oekonux.de/projekt/
Contact: projekt oekonux.de