On 3/25/21 3:33 PM, Danny Spitzberg wrote: Interesting perspective, worth engaging with. It covers everything from the term free/libre and beer, to Microsoft and IEC 62304, to not getting credit and reactionary attitudes.
“Free Software”: An idea whose time has passed [1]Robert M. Lefkowitz Almost forty years ago, in 1985, the idea of “Free Software” was born. ... It's always good to hear criticism; it keeps us on our toes and honest. I actually think this is as great a time for software freedom as ever. Personally I am a "user" who is not a developer, programmer, or sysadmin. I use Free Software because I feel respected as a user. Some years ago my wife asked me "What precisely is the harm in using proprietary software?" This caused me to think very carefully, and I actually unearthed some of the concepts the author mentioned. And also, of what value is software freedom to a non-programmer? I posted my thoughts here: [1]https://internetperdition.wordpress.com/2016/09/18/seek-freedom-not- permission/ The author refers to "political" software but I would say that all transactions involve power (and if you're not watching for power dynamics everywhere all the time then wise up!). And we have negotiate power relationships when we procure things we need. When I buy a pencil, my relationship with the manufacturer is very limited, so the power concerns are minimal; when I buy a car I have a limited ongoing relationship with the manufacturer, but still the car company has limited power to coerce me after the sale. I can go to third-party dealers, roads are roads, etc. Software, however, is so complex that the possibilities for coercion are limited by engineers' creativity. The means of consumer protection, from least protective to most, are as follows: 1. Government regulation 2. Market competition 3. Open standards for files and protocols (to prevent vendor lock-in) 4. Available source code with full rights and capabilities to fork (software freedom) The author can call me a conspiracy theorist but I don't have regrets about adopting the most protective regime available. Maybe it's more protection than I need, but I don't have to be constantly deciding how much protection I need. I see some trends that suggest an opening from Free Software, if we can take advantage of them. Concern /disgust with surveillance is growing, as is distrust of Big Tech. "Open source" used to get all the media hype but I think the sense has grown that that movement cares nothing for ethics or users, it's a vehicle for Big Tech and Big Tech wannabe's. There's an appetite for a line of products and a software stack that "respects your freedom" if it is convenient to use and integrated. People *do* want to be respected! They just don't know where to find it, and they don't want to have to assemble it. Now to edit this down and post comments to the author.... Jim Garrett References 1. https://internetperdition.wordpress.com/2016/09/18/seek-freedom-not-permission/
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