Metaphors of Free Software

[Kim Tucker]

A free software application is like a 'life form' being released into an
(artificial virtual) ecosystem of (non-rivalrous digital) resources. The
code is its 'DNA' which may be adapted (or mutated) so that it better
functions in its environment. If a variation functions well, it will
reproduce (more copies, more users, ...).
The mutators ('genetic enginers' - software developers) can use strands of
DNA from other variations (forks), or even other species (other unrelated
libre software applications), to enhance the organism which reproduces
further to fill its niche.
The GNU GPL v 3 et seq. ensures that the evolution of other species in this
ecosystem is not restricted. Here the analogy ends. There is no GNU GPL v 3
equivalent for the real earthly world of finite rivalrous resources. Where
will we take real life with our ability to genetically modify it (including
ours)? Is there a need for restrictions? (another thread for some other
forum I suppose) .
On 23 Sep 2014 15:59, "Hugo Roy" <hugo at fsfe.org> wrote:

> Hi,
>
> Metaphors when done right can be powerful to convey an idea.
> There’s a short article with some good metaphors:
>
>
> http://www.ethicalconsumer.org/ethicalreports/internetreport/whatisopensource.aspx
>
>
>         Transparency: a car.
>
>         An open source license is like having the right to lift your car
>         bonnet to view the engine. If you use software but can’t see what
>         it’s doing behind the scenes, then it’s impossible to know what
>         it’s doing with your data or even if it’s secure. By making code
>         viewable by all, it’s much easier to spot and fix security flaws
>         and bugs, which is why many security standards, such as password
>         encryption, are open source.
>
>
>
>         Modification: a house
>
>         Open source is like buying a house and being free to decorate it
>         however you want, to build extensions or demolish walls.
>         Closed-source software strictly limits what you can do with it.
>
>
>
>         Accumulative: DNA:
>
>         Like a genome that keeps evolving, or the way academia builds upon
>         prior knowledge, open source is a way of ‘standing on the shoulder
>         of giants’, by building on what exists, rather than starting from
>         scratch. This applies to everything from the code at the heart of
>         software and powering websites to design elements, which can
>         develop in an accumulative way, with anyone free to improve on the
>         work of those previously.
>
>
>         Collaborative: a coop
>
>         Like a co-op, but without membership. While code authors may still
>         own copyright on their code, by providing an open license, assets
>         are kept public and the user community can offer improvements,
>         fixes, language translations, design improvements, documentation
>         and so on. Eric S Raymond describes open source development as “a
>         great babbling bazaar of differing agendas and approaches out of
>         which a coherent and stable system could seemingly emerge only by
>         a succession of miracles”.
>
>
>
>         Democratic: a landslide
>
>         Like a democracy where anyone can set up their own country if they
>         don’t like the leader. Open source projects have core maintainers
>         who have the final say over suggestions and contributions from the
>         user community but if they aren’t responsive, people can ‘fork’
>         the software and build their own ‘branch’. The content management
>         system Joomla, for instance, was forked from Mambo, after its
>         corporate owners started charging developers big fees.
>
>
>
> I suppose we’re missing the analogy between a cooking recipe and
> source code for the list to be complete :-)
>
>
> --
> Hugo Roy, Free Software Foundation Europe, <www.fsfe.org>
> Deputy Coordinator, FSFE Legal Team, <www.fsfe.org/legal>
> Coordinator, FSFE French Team, <www.fsfe.org/fr>
>
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