[GLLUG] The Truth About FOSS

[Stanley C. Mortel]

To be perfectly honest, the closest thing that I see to the FOSS movement 
is traditional academic publishing.  Profs. around the world work long 
hours and publish papers to the public domain (more or less) for no 
(direct) financial reimbursement.  They work in independent groups with no 
formal leadership.  There is also a similar attitude of working for the 
"common good" rather than for profit, if only common to the rather small 
group of other professionals who would care to read, much less be able to 
understand, the technical literature.  Advancing human knowledge replaces 
advanced computer use, but the analogies seem pretty clear.  To the extent 
that academic journals and presses hold the copyright to, and restrict the 
use of, the articles and books they publish, they do a disservice to the 
academic/educational community, and there is wide dissapproval of such 
practices by those who write the articles.  (There is also widespread 
disregard for prohibitions of copying material for classes, etc.)

Frankly, I find the FOSS community and activities thoroughly refreshing and 
a most modern reincarnation of the spirit of community intellectual effort 
to just get things done and share with one another.  The invention of the 
printing press did wonders for widespread communication of ideas.  The 
invention of commercial publishing, while in its own way making published 
works more widely available, has certainly created many obstacals to the 
exchange of ideas in the name of profit.  Let us hope, and to the extent 
possible ensure, that the internet and FOSS stay free and open.

Just my 2 cents.

Stan


At 10:18 PM 3/21/2008 -0500, you wrote:
>I used to think GLLUG was a bunch of right-thinking people who wanted to
>peacefully promote the awareness and use of FOSS, and have fun doing so.
>   Now my blinders have been removed by this adroit set of observations:
>
>http://www.theobjectiveobserver.com/articles/technology03.shtml
>
>I disavow your terrorist aims and repudiate your methods most
>forcefully.  I see a FOSS apologist has attempted to discredit the
>article here:
>
>http://www.montanalinux.org/just-a-few-clarifications.html
>
>but I remain unconvinced.
>
>                                 Chick
>
>
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>linux-user mailing list
>linux-user at egr.msu.edu
>http://mailman.egr.msu.edu/mailman/listinfo/linux-user

****************************
Stan Mortel
mortel at cyber-nos.com
****************************