Re: [ox-en] Is Free Software a P2P Phenomenon?
- From: "Michel Bauwens" <michelsub2004 gmail.com>
- Date: Fri, 19 Sep 2008 12:39:42 +0700
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Peer to peer, or rather peer production, in my definition, which is shared
by quite a few people on the list though using different terminologies,
requires
1) free contributions (in the sense of free engagement)
2) participatory processes (open development)
3) commons oriented output
Obviously the three can exist separately,
giving free software that is not peer production, or participatory processes
in a paid environment, or a commons created by paid people ...
The definition of peer production is not incompatible with asking for money,
as long as it is not obligatory.
This is the case with free software, which has to be available as source
code, yet you can also charge for it if you want ...
Free Software is not necessarily full peer production (singly vs. double
free software)
If you pay for free software, it may be that you pay for the work (in that
case, you have free software but not peer production), or you may pay for
added value around the freely available software ...
Reality is complex ...
Michel
On Fri, Sep 19, 2008 at 6:54 AM, Patrick Anderson <agnucius gmail.com>wrote:
I'm having trouble finding the quotes I thought I had read about the
current definition of P2P.
Does the P2P definition disqualify any organization that may require
payment for participation?
If so, then Free Software is not a P2P phenomenon, for it allows
owners to charge any amount of money for those outputs.
Furthermore, if P2P does not allow owners to charge for their product,
then it is NOT Free Software, for the definition of Free Software also
requires that freedom of commerce not be suppressed.
Quotes from "The Free Software Definition" at
http://GNU.org/philosophy/free-sw.html
1. ""Free software" is a matter of liberty, not price"
2. "you should be free to redistribute copies, ... either gratis or
charging a fee for distribution,"
3. "you always have the freedom to copy and change the software, even
to sell copies"
4. ""Free software" does not mean "non-commercial." A free program
must be available for commercial use, commercial development, and
commercial distribution. Commercial development of free software is no
longer unusual; such free commercial software is very important."
5. "When talking about free software, it is best to avoid using terms
like "give away" or "for free," because those terms imply that the
issue is about price, not freedom"
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