Re: [Fsuk-manchester] The free software movement's dilemma

[Michael Dorrington]

On 22/03/13 21:41, Tim Dobson wrote:
> On 22/03/13 13:37, MJ Ray wrote:
>> Tim Dobson<address@hidden>
[...]
> The free software movement has code that powers millions of servers,
> that runs in space, that has connected millions of people, that has
> underlined millions of businesses... but we don't talk about it. Perhaps
> we could start doing? How?

We do talk about it.  As an example, we had a talk about "Free software
advances around the world" by Bob Ham last year.  We talk about it at
events as it helps dispel the idea that it couldn't work.

> Example 3: Coding as standard for schools.
> In the UK we've seen massive boosts in young people coding - there's a
> massive push to get young people not just to be passive consumers but to
> be creators. This is the proverbial, "everyone plays games, but only a
> few people know how to make them" or "everyone uses apps on their phone,
> but how can you personally make one?".

Young people have been coding computers since they were available to
them.  Early home computers either booted into a programming environment
or it was accessible from the menu the computer booted into.  This
encouraged many people to code.  Some of the coding was used to give
users software freedom but some of it was used to enslave users, divide
them and make them helpless.

> With the rPi and all that that
> brings, we have free software, for the first time ever, being pushed
> into the hands of school children. This is tremendous news - and a
> massive opportunity. How can we communicate better about this?

The Raspberry Pi also requires non-Free Software to boot and has
non-free driver for its GFX (they've only freed the shim layer to it) so
it is not exactly a gleaming beacon of Free Software.  What we need to
continue to teach is the Free Software philosophy so these coders don't
go on to use any skills they learn to write non-Free Software or
Software as a Service (SaaS).

> Find someway you're happy to watch this:
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=wVn1TqUfZjc#!

clive http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVn1TqUfZjc#!

> oops, it seems like I meant this link actually:
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKIu9yen5nc 

clive http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVn1TqUfZjc#!

> It's 2013. From that video, go back and look at how many people in that
> video, work for organisations that *aren't* businesses primarily based
> around free software infrastructure. I count, two, arguably soon, one?
> In 2013, to have a job, *how can you afford* for it *not* to be free
> software? how can we communicate that if you're looking for work in
> today's world, employers are crying out for experience with free
> software systems? I mean, really, seriously, ASP.net isn't a threat,
> it's a joke. How can we get that across to people?

Those companies want coders to code their SaaS and non-Free Software.
These are basically recruiting videos for non-Free Software companies or
SaaS companies.  As they say in the 2nd video they can't get enough high
quality coders.  The message the Free Software Movement should be
focusing on is not "If you learn how to use Free Software then there are
lots of high paying jobs where you can code SaaS, you'll be enslaving
users but that's OK" but should be "Write software that respects the
users' freedom, Free Software, or don't write that software as it is
unjust.".

> Fwiw, here's how that code.org video above got the views:
> http://techcrunch.com/2013/03/13/how-code-orgs-learn-to-code-video-starring-zuck-and-gates-surpassed-12m-views-in-2-weeks/
> 
> 
> Basically, I think better things could be done, and the people who do
> those things, are the ones that will choose which way the future goes.

Tim, I would like you to help out with MFS again, you made a great
contribution but there is still lots to do in effectively promoting the
Free Software philosophy.

Thanks,
Mike.
-- 
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