Posted on 10/10/2006 4:56:51 PM PDT by Golden Eagle
Linux or open source seems to thrive wherever Left governments rule. And as Kerala schools log Microsoft out and boot open source systems, Linux world is buzzing with excitement over possibilities in the communist-ruled states. Though West Bengal and Tripura have to go whole hog to adopt a free software model, ideological closeness is more than evident. Kerala, most insiders’ feel, is turning out to be Richard Stallman's happiest hunting ground. His personal vibes with Velikakathu Sankaran Achuthanandan, even from VS's pre-chief minister era, are in play. It’s a picture watching the duo cozying together in a similar attire — Stallman in a crumbled white T-shirt and VS in homely sleeveless white banian. Secretly, people do wonder what Class VII drop-out Marxist patriarch chitchats with whiz-kid of the Red Hat business-model. However, those who attended a Stallman seminar on FOSS, could clearly see that Linux and Left are on the same wavelength.
(Excerpt) Read more at financialexpress.com ...
Open ideas does not equal communism especially when there is no governmental entity forcing the openness. Communism is about economies and production being controlled centrally and enforced at the end of a gun. Open Source is about sharing coding ideas (something that has been done for ages and also is done in the legal world related to documents), but, contractually, making those who do such borrowing of the ideas to not coopt those ideas as their own.
Nothing is stopping anyone from developing, from scratch, and operating system. And you can even use portions of open source software in that operating system, and sell it. The point is that you must attribute where you used it, and contribute the changes you made as a price of use. There is still an economic exchange for the use of an idea (code) made by someone else. If the idea is no good - then you aren't forced to use it.
This is soooooo far away from communism, that it isn't funny. It's capitalism with a different 'currency' being exchanged.
How about Stallman and Jobs, then? Same political persasion.
So, governments that are not friendly to the US have no method to obtain operating system software?
Funny - I could walk the streets of Beijing and buy Windows - why can't a North Korean representative do the same thing?
That's because he's a wanker and troll. It's what he does. He participates on this forum only to much up these threads, as he has quite successfully done on this one with his demonstrated ignorance.
Huh? Exactly what are you claiming we get back from North Korea and Iran for the free supercomputer software they are getting from the U.S.? They can legally download those programs from international repositories to their heart's content and then disconnect immediately, so I have no idea of what we are supposedly getting back from them in return for their downloads of these products. You're obviously looking for some sliver of hope in morally defending these transfers, now trying to call it capitalism LOL, but there's just not any there.
You then have the same complaint against Shareware and Freeware, right? It's not Open Source that is the problem, but availability, if I am reading your response correct. And availability is a tough thing to control.
Open Source is about what it describes - the source code. You are not lamenting only the open source movement, but freeware, shareware and any channels of distribution of any software where that software may end up in a country we are not friendly with.
All they need are some well positioned socialists in the drug industry, just as they have obviously found in the software industry, to get the ball rolling. You've certainly not come out and rejected their theories, in fact you seem pretty clearly to be supporting them.
I support them so long as it isn't forced release (although doesn't our Patent system make divulging the recipes a foregone conclusion?). Heck, any drug that has been newly created and filed a patent describes EXACTLY how to make it in the publicly accessible patent database.
If a company wants to release a drug and gives its description to the public for free, it can. If I want to make a piece of software and give it away fro free I can. What you seem to be advocating is a strange hybrid of dictatorial capitalism that forces everything we make to be sold in defined channels of distribution. Actually, that sounds like communism.
It's a half dozen things or more, but they all pretty much boil down to are there leftists and communists involved, and are they benefitting from something free from the US? Specifically, when the North Koreans legally download open source software from us for free to build their nuclear program , there's an obvious problem. Your opinion admitted previously is it isn't a problem, so we're just not ever going to agree.
But can you clarify that the problem isn't open source, but free distribution (therefore included freeware and shareware software)? Programs such as Microsoft's Visual Studio Express, for example, would also be a problem since they are available for free and could be used by North Korea to write the software that powers their nuclear reactors.
No it is. But you keep stating your problem is having free software that a country can use to power their nuclear ambitions. My point is Microsoft and IBM give away software development tools that would aid in designing such software. Microsoft gives away, for free, Visual Studio Express, for example. Apple also gives away portions of its operating system (and worse - older copies are given away).
The problem you state, free access to software, is not limited to Open Source. If you are concerned about shared code - well, then also lament all the code sharing websites (Google's Code Search must be on your target list), for those also give the building blocks.
All Open Source does is combined the two. If you think open source is communistic because of its availability, you need to break down the components and also state any free distribution of software or code sharing is communistic. I am suprised you haven't referred the Planet Source Code website to the House Unamerican Activities Committee.
One thing you have never done is show that North Korea actually used Linux to help design their nuclear weapons. Care to try?
Like I alluded to earlier, our first bombs were designed with slide rules. An iPod has orders of magnitude more computing power than what we used to design the H-bomb. A modern supercomputing cluster is absolutely not even close to necessary to design a basic nuclear device capable of destroying a city.
What is important is the raw uranium and the equipment and expertise to enrich it. That was supplied by Clinton and the Pakistanis. After that, you're pretty much just shooting one chunk of uranium out of a cannon at another chunk of uranium to achieve critical mass (Hiroshima-style).
You just completely ignored these facts when I presented them to you earlier.
In addition, lament the Patent system. It gives the blueprints away for millions of ideas - all that could be used by North Korea and all may find a home in their nuclear program in some respect. All this data is available for free. Sounds communistic to me as well...
Complete access to the source, rights to modify and duplicate, are limited to open source, you can quit trying to pin that on something else, all it's done with your repeated impression you don't know what you're talking about.
If you think open source is communistic because of its availability
Quit trying to limit my concerns to availability, even though nothing else grants communists and other evil doers equal access. It's also because of the endless collusion between the leftist leaders of open source and communists, as described in the article which was clearly written by 3 people I have never even heard of. I'm not the one out on a limb, I have the factual reporting of many to support my claims, while you keep slipping further and further away from reality.
Complete access to the source, rights to modify and duplicate, are limited to open source, you can quit trying to pin that on something else, all it's done with your repeated impression you don't know what you're talking about.
If you think open source is communistic because of its availability
Quit trying to limit my concerns to availability, even though nothing else grants communists and other evil doers equal access. It's also because of the endless collusion between the leftist leaders of open source and communists, as described in the article which was clearly written by 3 people I have never even heard of. I'm not the one out on a limb, I have the factual reporting of many to support my claims, while you keep slipping further and further away from reality.
Surely you're not ensenuating Linux supercomputers aren't typically involved with nuclear weapons design, or that supercomputers are limited to nuclear design and test, or that Linux use is limited to supercomputers. I hope not, but you'd have to make all those ignorant assumptions for your latest diversion attempt to have any chance of succeeding.
So, the reason you are concerned with only Open Source and not free software, is that the source can be modified, correct? Just trying to pin down your exact problem (and not use silly association problems).
So you have a problem with the free source code aspect, not the distribution? So sharing of any blueprints, whether through the Patent system, or sharing of code source is what you want prohibited, correct?
Or, if you were a legislator, what would you do to combat "Open Source"? Your solution will help us define what your real issue is.
I guess the Manhattan Project didn't stand a chance, then.
*applause*
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