Hi folks, I've cross-posted this on both techtalk and issues, because it probably belongs on issues, but it was spurred by the conversation on techtalk about the story on MS, and it's view of Linux. I read the original speach (which is at: http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/exec/craig/05-03sharedsource.asp) A line in the National Post story caught my eye: "Open source, which was associated in the 1980s with anti-commercial software programmers who adhered to communitarian work ideals, emerged as a commercial phenomenon in the 1990s as a popular way of building software to manage Web sites." My question is (it's kinda fuzzy): to what extent do others see embracing open-source software as a potentially political statement about intellectual property, and capitalism? It seems to me that some really, really big fights are going on and brewing about intellectual property, all fueled by the fact that current technology, whether it be digital tech, or chemistry and molecular biology, makes it increasingly difficult to police IP. It feels like as the powers that want to maintain their IP (software companies, record companies, publishers, drug companies) pressure governments to enact stricter legislation against the "theft" of IP (like UCITA, for instance), that these regulations begin to impinge on the free speach and basic rights of individuals in ways never before seen. And, it seems to me, that the open-source movement is a great counter to that trend. But, now that open source is seen as a potential business model, how does that change things? And how is being an open-source programmer part of the puzzle? Anyway, I thought this would be an interesting set of issues to discuss and ponder. -- ------------ Michelle Murrain, Ph.D. President Norwottuck Technology Resources [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.norwottuck.com _______________________________________________ techtalk mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.linux.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/techtalk
