Free Software and art
Similarities and differences
author: | Stefan Merten, Raoul Victor |
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Introduction to Oekonux
Characteristics of Free Software
Examples for Free Software: Linux, KDE, OpenOffice.org, Gimp, ...
Free Software is everywhere
The actual product is gratis
However: Price plays a role, but is not crucial
Source code is available
Important for the most of the following four rights, which every user of Free Software has
- Software may be used for any purpose
- The sources may be studied and changed
- The software may be distributed arbitrarily
- Changed versions may be distributed arbitrarily
This is guaranteed by a license
Is there a similar concept in art?
In fact licenses like the Creative Commons allow many restrictions
Conclusion
Free in the sense of freedom
Mode of production of Free Software
This is a very important characteristic
In the workshop: How can this be compared to the mode of production of art?
Without money
Developers finance themselves by other means
Similar to other hobbies
Effort is taken on a voluntary basis
Necessity of concrete solutions to problems
Is there any analog concept in the realm of art?
May be exactly this is the difference between fine art and useful art
Selbstentfaltung of the developers
Programming is fun (for some people)
Other activities may serve the Selbstentfaltung also
For instance art...
Manifold self-organized in small, independent groups
International in the Internet
Conclusion
Often a high quality results
Quality is a direct result of the mode of production
In the workshop: Is this similar in art?
Germ form and five-step
This is the Oekonux perspective on overcoming capitalism
Germ form is something structural new existing in the old
Not the new in a small version
Rather a new logic
Germ forms develop in a five-step
- Formation of the germ form
- Crisis of the old form
- Germ form becomes an important dimension of development in the old form
- Germ form becomes dominant
- Restructuring of the over all process
Conclusion
Free Software is in third step
Free in the sense of Free Software
This freedom is indicated by the capital "F"
Freedom is result of the process
Results are Free because of the process
Can be used by anyone who needs them
Implies that they are available without payment
I.e. unlimited externally
Freedom is pre-condition of the process
The process doesn't work without Freedom
Freedom enables contributions from all sides
I.e. unlimited internally
One's Freedom enables the Freedom of others
Instead of limiting it like in abstract freedom
Conclusion
Defines several positive feedback cycles
This is where the power comes from
The onionskin model thesis
Free Software was first
Already established quite well
Culture is coming next
- Wikipedia
- Free Science like in OpenAccess movement
- Free Music like in Jamendo
- Free Culture like in Brazil
[Probably some more onionskins here]
Complete societal production is last
Including material production
Only small hints so far
Conclusion
The new logic establishes in steps
This relates to the way the germ form becomes more and more important
This is similar to how capitalism spread
Which as we know was a quite successful strategy
The utopia: GPL society
GPL society means a formation of society, which is based on the principles of the development of Free Software
Until now it can be imagined only in rough outlines
- Means of production make Selbstentfaltung possible
- Useful activities are Selbstentfaltung
- Societal and individual utility is directly intertwined
- Automation makes necessary activities superfluous
- Information and goods are Freely available
- Overcoming of the labor society
- No labor, no commodities
- No exchange, no money
- No alienation
Conclusion
Freedom of the one becomes the precondition of the freedom of all
And vice versa
Some thoughts on art
Fine art and useful art
Important distinction
Fine art
The artifact has no use beyond being artistic / beautiful / some other symbolic value
That is: No intentional use beyond this
Granted: Distinction between symbolic and other use values may be hard sometimes
Fine art only changes something in the mind of people
Useful art / craft
The artifact has some non-symbolic use
And this use is intended during creation
Artistic features / beauty can be deeply embedded
A boring business application can nonetheless have a beautiful architecture
Useful art can be used to change the world
Conclusion
Intended usefulness as the main difference
May be also between Free Software and art?
Artists, beauty, Free Software
We are not art experts...
- Artists have special skills
- These allow them to produce art
- Free Software: Often written by people with special skills
- Beauty is in the eye of the beholder
- Many kinds of beauty can only be understood by trained people
- Software can be beautiful
Conclusion
There are some similarities between art and Free Software
Authorship in Free Software
Contributions to Free Software
- Many different forms of contributions
- Main artifacts: coding, graphical design
- Supporting artifacts: documentation, project web site
- Infrastructure: software design, testing
- General care: maintainership, discussion
- Supplements: bug reports, fixes, feature requests
- Hardware: servers, connectivity
Conclusion
Free Software projects need many different skills
This is a feature typical for industrial projects
This is probably different from typical art projects
Authorship in Free Software
Authorship relates to artifacts
- However: Many other important contributions beyond working on artifacts
Small projects often consist of a single author / contributor
Sometimes getting minor outside contributions
Probably matches best the typical artist?
Bigger projects have many authors / contributors
Many cooperating contributors with specialized skills
Explicitly named: authors and maintainers
Division of labor is typical and welcome
Are there similar art projects?
Conclusion
Divison of labor in art?
Authorship and ownership
Authorship usually constitutes ownership
Copyright regulates this explicitly
Ownership in general
- The right to forbid others to use things
- Useful to make money
Ownership in Free Software
The duty to allow others to use things
Prevents making money
Because making money depends on scarcity
Conclusion
Authorship has different consequences in Free Software
Selbstentfaltung
Keyword: Selbstentfaltung
The notion plays a central role in Oekonux
More than self-realization
Self-realization focuses too much on the isolated individual
Selbstentfaltung understands humans as societal beings
Selbstentfaltung is "autonomy-in-interdependence"
Dependency is not reduction but extension of own possibilities
Because others from whom I depend create possibilities by their actions I would not have on my own
Content of Selbstentfaltung is different for every individual
For some it is developing Free Software
For others it might be creating art
Leverages the differences between people
Instead of their equality
Conclusion
In general Selbstentfaltung is a desirable goal
Keyword: Alienation
In a way: The counter notion to Selbstentfaltung
Plays a central role in Oekonux
Describes the relationship between humans and things or humans
Influences which are external to the concrete relationship
Default example: money
Wage labor means alienation with respect to the concrete activity
Commodities mean alienation with respect to the material qualities of the products
Example: Software licenses
Licences are external to the software
Only control the social relationship
Makes Selbstentfaltung impossible
- Implies: Makes superior quality impossible
Superior quality results from the unalienated relationship to the product
Conclusion
In general alienation prevents emancipation
Simply and Doubly Free Software
Important distinction of concepts
Simply Free Software
Freedom for users
Standard rights of Free Software apply
Commercial Free Software
Software on contract
Doubly Free Software
- Freedom for users and producers
- Producers are active on non-alienated basis
- No commercial Free Software
Conclusion
How Free is art?
Follow up
Thanks and more
- Thanks for your attention
- More on
- Web site: http://www.oekonux.org/
- Introduction: http://en.wiki.oekonux.org/Oekonux/Introduction
- Mailing list: http://www.oekonux.org/list-en/
Questions for the workshop
- Questions:
- Selbstentfaltung / creativity
- How does Selbstentfaltung seen in Free Software relate to creativity seen in art?
- How does Selbstentfaltung in art influence the quality of artistic work? Is quality art possible under alienated conditions?
- How can the mode of production of Free Software be compared to the mode of production of art?
- Does it make sense to distinguish between payed art and Doubly Free Art?
- Authorship in Free Software and in art
- Is there something like Free Art and if so how is it expressed (licenses)?
- What is the relationship of an artist to his/her work? Is this relationship different from that of a software developer from her/his work?
- What are similarities and differences between authorship in Free Software and art? What could be reasons for those similarities and differences?
- Software fulfills a (technical) function while (fine) art does not. What follows from this difference?
- What follows from the notion of authorship used in art compared to the results in Free Software?
- If artists want to learn from Free Software what could be useful to adopt and how needs this to be adapted?
- Selbstentfaltung / creativity
Conclusion
Answers?