[ox-en] Scaling models (was: Re: Defintion of exchange)
- From: Stefan Merten <smerten oekonux.de>
- Date: Mon, 21 Jan 2002 00:08:06 +0100
Hi Geert and all!
Yesterday geert lovink wrote:
Has he really? "To force the *users* of free software to *compensate its
creators* with free software *in return*?" If I want to use free
software, first I have to write some other piece of free software so
I'll be allowed to use the first piece?
Yes, this logic makes in a small world where producers and users
are the same people. The GPL so far only works amongst a
small group of programmers.
Well, the GPL works for *me* because it gives me the freedom to use
free software any way I want to (besides privatizing derivative work)
- regardless whether I'm a programmer or only a user. Actually I don't
understand what you're trying to say.
What I would like to introduce in this debate is the issue of scale.
The free money people must have made thoughts about it but
in the free software world I don't
^^^
??? A bit hasty that mail ;-) .
Scale in a science in itself. Ideas that may work well on a micro
level perhaps won't a macro level.
Sure. IMHO particularly the open money / LETS / "Tauschring" is an
example for that sort of problem. Exchange works best with big markets
- and it changes its shape radically.
I think many debates on
Oekonux are testing the treshold between micro and macro
but have not really gone beyond the self-satisfied small scale
communities (that we all like and nurture, including me).
GNU/Linux and other Free Software is used not only in small scale
communities but meanwhile has a worldwide user community. And the
numbers still go up. I can't see your point here.
We all know certain principle work well in small groups and
amongst specialists. But will they in society at large? And if
not what is then our conclusion?
That's simple: Drop them.
At the moment I can see very real cultural boundaries why
free software is not leaving the boundaries of male hobbyism
and (consequently) the very specific server market linux
operates within so well.
Why the hell should a female worker not work with say KDE, OpenOffice
and Mozilla? All this is readily available and I know a number of
"only"-users using GNU/Linux in such a way. I guess I don't understand
what you're talking about really.
But the issue is: can it first of all
jump into other fields of IT, even outside of the IT-
industry and join similar force within society which
practice similar ideas (copyleft, basic income, LETS, etc.).
Are there similar forces? If we see the fundamental absence of
exchange as a principle of Free Software nor basic income neither LETS
are similar. And copyleft in other fields is a result of Free Software
so there is no need to join it.
Mit Freien Grüßen
Stefan
_______________________
http://www.oekonux.org/