Free Software: The most mature P2P economy
Author: | Stefan Merten |
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Oekonux key concepts
Characteristics of Free Software
The actual product is gratis
Gratis is not crucial but points to the mode of production
Source code is available
Four basic rights for the users
- 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
Licenses embed these rights in the law system
As we'll see: Such embedding is important
Conclusion
Free in the sense of freedom
Mode of production
Without money
That's why price is zero
Effort is taken on a voluntary basis
- Necessity of concrete solutions to problems
- Selbstentfaltung of the developers
Manifold self-organized in small, independent groups
International in the Internet
Conclusion
Often a high quality results
Selbstentfaltung
More than self-realization
- Do what you like but not as an atomized individual
Selbstentfaltung is "autonomy-in-interdependence"
- Dependency is not reduction but extension of own possibilities
Selbstentfaltung ends up in higher quality
Because desire for quality is expression of Selbstentfaltung
And this means absolute quality - not only relative
Possible only without alienation
Conclusion
In general Selbstentfaltung is a desirable goal
Germ form and five-step
Germ form is something structural new existing in the old
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
This is where embedding through licenses becomes imporant
Germ form becomes dominant
Restructuring of the over all process
Conclusion
Free Software is in third step
Signs of maturity
Free Software history
When talking of maturity, history is an important aspect
Early 1980's: Richard M. Stallmann coins "Free Software"
Ideological background
GNU General Public License
The Free Software license
Early 1990's: Linus Torvalds starts Linux
- "Bazaar" model opened up the development
- Pragmatism
Late 1990's: Eric S. Raymond coins "Open Source"
- Marketing campaign
- Free Software gained public visibility
Conclusion
Took 30 years to really take off
Free Software as an economy
Wikipedia (2007-10-03):
An economy is the system of human activities related to the production, distribution, exchange, and consumption of goods and services of a country or other area.
- "System": (Network of) Free Software projects
- "Human activities": Made by humans
- "Production": Based on a production process
- "Distribution": Through the Internet
- "Exchange": Not exchange but a flow of goods
- "Consumption": By consumers as well as producers
- "Goods and services": Software and support
- "Country or other area": Global
Conclusion
Free Software certainly is an economy
Success in the old form
Free Software is superior to proprietary software
- Otherwise industry would not use it
- Important: Quality - not ideological reasons
Wide and still rising distribution
Final frontier: the desktop
You can switch to Free Software today!
Similar to upcoming capitalism
Capitalism also started in niches where it was superior
Conclusion
Success in the old form is key for maturity
Beyond old relationships
- Beyond commodities
- Absence of scarcity
- Beyond gifts
- No social relationships between producers and consumers
- Beyond classical public goods
- Not state based
- Beyond labor
- Replaced by Selbstentfaltung
Conclusion
Establishing new relationships is key for sustainability
Beyond old ownership
- Inclusive ownership model
- Traditional ownership: Right to exclude
- Beyond exchange
- You may take without giving
- Beyond alienation
- Product is oriented in use value
- Selbstentfaltung is the anti-thesis of alienation
Conclusion
Establishing new notion of ownership changed history
At several forefronts
- Social relationships
- Maintainership
- Loose binding of people
- Orientation on projects instead of organization
- Openness
- Technical development
- Globalization
- Mode of production based on Selbstentfaltung
Conclusion
Sublating the old happens at the forefronts of development
Free in the sense of Free Software
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
Those positive feedback cycles create sustainability
This is where the power comes from