Re: [ox-en] Germ of a new form of society or germ of a new form of business?
- From: Raj Mathur <raju linux-delhi.org>
- Date: Tue, 3 Feb 2004 11:03:39 +0530
<troll-bait on>
"Niall" == Niall Douglas <s_fsfeurope2 nedprod.com> writes:
Niall> On 2 Feb 2004 at 2:02, Benj. Mako Hill wrote:
>> That said, I've been able to be creative enough to pay myself
>> to produce GPL'd software for the last half decade.
Niall> You almost certainly come from the right background - I bet
Niall> you're white, speak english natively and come from at least
Niall> a middle class background with an expensive education. If
Niall> you were Hispanic just freshly arrived over the border from
Niall> Mexico, could you make a living from servicing GPL'ed
Niall> software?
1. White: no
2. Middle-class background: yes
3. Expensive education: no
3a. Education: no
4. Hispanic: no
5. English-speaking: yes
6. Mexican: no
7. From across the border: which border would that be again?
8. Making a living from servicing GPL software: yes
Niall> Have you ever considered that those who make a living from
Niall> servicing complex and arcane software are in fact
Niall> practicising one of the most fundamental forms of
Niall> information control - that which requires "expertness"?
So does editing a book or writing. What's your point?
I service free software, I'm a self-proclaimed expert in it. I pass
on my knowledge to others by participating in mailing lists, talking
at seminars, addressing LUG meets, writing articles (under a free (as
defined by me) license such as the FDL), helping out people who
contact me directly and giving my enhancements back to the world. So
do most of the free software workers I know in my community, as do
most free software workers around the world. Where's the
``information control'' in that?
You seem to be claiming that passing on knowledge (information) in the
form of free software is not enough, you also have to pass on the
years of experience that you have garnered in IT. Can't you see how
ridiculous that is? In my book, hiring experts to develop proprietary
software and more experts to sell and service it is ``information
control'', not passing on information for free and trying to ensure
that it remains free.
Niall> Sure, the software itself is available with less
Niall> restrictions. But how useful is that really if only experts
Niall> from rich backgrounds, excellent education and a life of
Niall> leisure can alter it?
9. Rich background: I wish!
10. Excellent education: see (3) and (3a) above
11. Life of leisure: oh man, you folks must invite me to your
Caribbean islands someday!
12. Ability to alter free software: yes
Niall> It used to surprise me that all "computer geeks" are very
Niall> similar. I am just as much part of them. But then I
Niall> realised we all have the same socioeconomic background, all
Niall> had plenty of free time in our teenage years and all had
Niall> expensive schooling (we're also all mostly male).
The generalisations and assumptions you're making in order to prove
your points are moving from being humorous to being pathetic. I'd
drop it now and retain at least a semblance of self-respect.
Unfortunately for some, in today's online society credibility is one
of the most valued currencies available. Refusing to acknowledge that
is an error; nullifying any that one may have had completely by trying
to attack this society's whole basis with senseless judgements is a
disaster of the first magnitude.
Niall> [snip]
Regards,
-- Raju
--
Raj Mathur raju kandalaya.org http://kandalaya.org/
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It is the mind that moves
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