Re: A letter for Mr. Darl McBride
On Sun, 2004-02-01 at 12:09, Al Davis wrote:
> On Sunday 01 February 2004 03:44 am, Nano Nano wrote:
> > ....... As
> > employees of the store, we were allowed to "check out" one piece of
> > software per day, and return it in the morning. A hairdryer was used
> > to gently separate the sticker without breaking it and retaining its
> > glue-iness. We had a shrink-wrap machine in the back. No one would
> > know we'd made a copy for ourselves.
>
> You took. You gave nothing back.
>
> > We were a small community, and as the witches say The Whole Of The
> > Law Be An Ye Harm None, Do As Thou Wilt.
>
> Parasites.
>
> > Then we used to trade MP3s on UseNet in 1997. I used to suck down 1
> > Gig per day and burn 2 CDs. My goal was to have 1000 CDs. No one
> > cared.
>
> You took. You gave nothing back.
>
> > Then Napster came along and ruined it for everybody but letting their
> > 12 year old brother abuse the same power.
>
> Napster took. It gave nothing back.
>
> > ..... Stay in the shadows, and there is nothing you cannot
> > have. Stand in the light and be smited and lose.
>
> Smited by who? By those in power? By the people?
>
> Once upon a time there was slavery. In some parts of the world there
> still is. We have freedom only because of those willing to stand in
> the light.
>
> Once upon a time women couldn't vote in the U.S. In some parts of the
> world they still can't. The got the right to vote only because of
> those willing to stand in the light.
>
> > I guess my point is we are a smart bunch of people and if we stay
> > quiet we can have all we want and no one will bother us. That's all.
> > I've seen bigger movements than this go down.
>
> The free software / open source movement isn't a movement that takes and
> gives nothing back. We share our own and give back in kind. We have
> no desire to take that which is not ours. The movement is growing only
> because of those who give back more than they take.
>
> What has SCO contributed? They take. They give nothing of value back.
>
Well put. I would submit that the the Free Software movement is not
primarily about software, but is rather the natural extension of an
ideology which promotes the open and free exchange of useful resources
for the benefit of society, be they tools (software), ideas (freedom,
equality), or anything else.
Greed and exploitation are hallmarks of those with the opposing
worldview (read Microsoft, SCO, RIAA, etc). To hide in the shadows,
"sucking down" the work of others shows one be no better than they and
is, in effect, collusion.
-davidc
Reply to: