Re: [SLUG] Sony Part III

From: steve szmidt (steve@szmidt.org)
Date: Sat Nov 19 2005 - 11:24:32 EST


On Saturday 19 November 2005 03:16, Paul M Foster wrote:
> The problem is that people in the Open Source movement aren't doing it
> for profit. They're doing it to advance the art. Or improve mankind. Or
> whatever their particular higher purpose is. (Or they just like to hack
> ;-) It's generally a labor of love, like all good science.

It can be a great fascilitator. That's how I use OSS. With it I can solve
customer problems and charge for my time and effort. But you are right in
that the code is usually the motivation for people to get involved. I know
that's what I wanted to do when I started out. Write something and have
people use it.

Programming can be an art form. And as such you are an artist and you code to
create a good effect on the environment. If you can then figure out a way to
live off it ... Wow! Life is great!

> It's also worth noting that the general level of morality and ethics in
> society has declined, exacerbating this whole problem. In a more moral
> society, record companies wouldn't charge extortionate rates for CDs,
> and no one would think of depriving an artist or company of profit by
> pirating a CD.

Yes, and I think that's where our grandfathers went wrong. They did predicted
so many things and built a great constitution. But I feel they did not
realize the moral decline that happend early 1900 with the problem Field
Marchall Otto von Bismark faced. But that's a different story.

Thing about politics, it's defined as things related to people. And if we
don't care about people we end up giving politics a bad name the only ones
left (polititians) don't really have our best at heart. So get involved in
some way. Dare to care!

Yes, it's definitely taking a political turn. : ) Not that the Sony story was
not political in the first place...

-- 

Steve Szmidt

"They that would give up essential liberty for temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." Benjamin Franklin ----------------------------------------------------------------------- This list is provided as an unmoderated internet service by Networked Knowledge Systems (NKS). Views and opinions expressed in messages posted are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of NKS or any of its employees.



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