Free software and open source philosophies differ,, sometimes with radically different outcomes

Giovanni Biscuolo g at xelera.eu
Wed Nov 22 16:34:40 UTC 2017


Hi all,

I gave my little contribution to this discussion (maybe to confusion also,
sorry!) and I have nothing to add to all I said

my *last* thought: please consider that this thread is becoming too long and
too wide in scope to be manageable, there are very interesting contributions
from everyone involved but we cannot manage all this in a single thread...
especially if we extend the subject in infinite and orthogonal directions

of course anyone is free to go on and discuss anything but we are loosing
focus (the subject is **philosophic**... "derailed" to politics)

* Mat Witts [2017-11-22 06:25:14 +0000]:

[...]

>Not quite, what I am doing is suggesting that a persons political
>beliefs can be broadly predicted using some basic knowledge of Open
>Source and Free Software principles and established social and political
>theory.

no, it's not so easy or - if you dare - "all it's easy when you have learned
to do so", and even when you have managed to do so it's a *very* dialectical
discourse that implies _a lot_ of other discourses (including psychology):
I'm not willing to go on on this path in **this** context, it's a **very**
loosing focus path :-)

we must be able to politically work with anyone willing to affirm the
freedoms associated with the Free Software definition *and* Open Source
Definition, coming from a _different_ philosophical path *but* affirming
the same freedoms

in other words, sorry if I insist, philosophical discourse is **by
definition** a dialectical one... and in this context we've had _a lot_ of
dialectics, we need a rest :-D

>You are of course at liberty to reject those theories and the basis for
>them if you think they are unreliable.

no no no, not here: I beg you!
It would be _very_ interesting to me but such a discussion would need a 3
day conference 24/h just to say: «Hallo, I think» :-D (I'm joking, please
smile with me!)
if someone it's willing to organize a conference about "Philosophical
implications of the four freedoms of Free Software" I'll be very happy to
attend (I'm not joking)

>I say this because the technologies don't only exist as
>ideas, they are working communities or 'paradigms' that shape (or
>deform) the working lives of millions of human persons.

agreed, AFAIK (and read) this consciousness is in the DNA of FSFE  dince day
0

>I would say what you have articulated here seems to strengthen the point
>about the confusion (meaning 'mixed up' or 'combinatorial' or 'blend')
>between communitarian vs. pro-business imperatives
[...]
>say shows signs of a libertarian vocabulary, a kind of 'compassionate
>capitalism' perhaps.

it seems to me (it **seems**) that you and many others identify the business
freedom *included* in the FS philosophy and the related "pro-business"
attitude with capitalism and/or capitalists markets

I'm not the one who can teach anyone the difference, but please consider
this identification is **not** appropriate 

[...]

OK, I need a rest

bye
Giovanni

-- 
Giovanni Biscuolo
Xelera - IT infrastructures
http://xelera.eu/contact-us/

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