Re: Fwd: Re: [ox-en] Walther
- From: "Benj. Mako Hill" <mako debian.org>
- Date: Sat, 28 Feb 2004 08:49:16 -0800
On Sat, Feb 28, 2004 at 05:31:05PM [PHONE NUMBER REMOVED], auskadi tvcabo.co.mz wrote:
Debian is an explicitly apolitical organization
Or perhaps you lack a concrete understanding of many FLOSS developers
particular analysis or perhaps you don't aren't grokking the way I am
using the term.
debian appears to lack any critical political analysis. But eally
if flosss is or has the pretensions you say it has, if debian is
part of "gpl" society how can you still sit back there and say it is
apolitical. This is nonsense but you keep repeating it. The whole
essence of the challenge posed by free software, open source,
whathever you call it is POLITICAL. Not political in the sense of
the marketig exercse now under way in the U.S. but POLITICAL.
Ok. I think it's possible that we are perhaps justing each focusing on
different aspects of the definition of politics.
When I say that I that FOSS is apolitical, I am *not* trying to imply
that there aren't important political implications of choosing FOSS
and that people don't choose FOSS for political reasons or choose
particular politics based on their experience with FOSS. I am an
example of exactly how this is *not* the case. I became interested in
politics because of my experience with FOSS.[1]
What I *am* trying to say is that as a political creature, FOSS does
not discriminate among its users, participants, or inspirees based on
traditional political viewpoints. You can be an fascist, anarchist,
social democrat, or free-market libertarian and think FOSS is the
cat's meow. You can use FOSS if you are a capitalist, an
anticapitalist, or a "controlled capitalism" advocate. You can look to
FOSS as an inspiration and example in all of these cases. I can give
you plenty of examples from all of these groups.
Basically, you can make the FOSS model work for you from any number of
what are traditionally viewed as mutually exclusive political positions
if you believe that software works better when four simple freedoms
are respected.
This is intentional. It's by design. IMHO that's a type of apolitical
phrasing. Maybe "transpolitical" is a better term. ;) If you've got a
better way to describe it, give me the term and I won't say apolitical
to describe this again. I promise. :)
I was wonderig where you were...its nice to see you back.
I was getting ready to make a trip from Seattle to Italy, making the
trip, and then setting up shop here. It's nice to be back. Thanks. :)
Regards,
Mako
[1] I wrote a story about it here:
http://mako.yukidoke.org/writing/unlearningstory/StoryOfUnlearing.html
--
Benjamin Mako Hill
mako debian.org
http://mako.yukidoke.org/