Re: [tlug] OT: Linux is Libertarian! (was "about iphone")

["Stephen J. Turnbull" <stephen@example.com>]

Raedwolf Summoner writes:

 > Uh, no, Josh, I'm still scratching my head on that one. Maybe it's
 > because I'm a linguist and not a programmer, but I don't get the
 > connection to crony capitalism. OTOH, I can't imagine how anyone
 > could compare the pathological central control of communism to
 > either Linux or open source.

Pull my chain, will you?  You'll regret that! :-)

But the pathology in question is not Linux or open source, it's GNU,
which is not responsible for Linux (the GNU kernel is the still
unusable HURD), and apt to get really hinky if you suggest that they
have any relation to open source.  GNU is about "free software" as
defined by a cult figure, whose more general views about freedom are
pretty disgusting to me (eg, he believes that laws to protect children
of any age from pedophiles are anti-freedom and should be repealed,
search for "paedophile" in his blog).

The basic belief that true-GNU supporters have about software is
extremely communistic.  They believe that no harm can possibly be done
by denying property rights in software, and that someone who
contributes a gift that goes on giving forever can be adequately
rewarded with wage slavery.  The cult figure himself doesn't hesitate
to compromise his beliefs by refusing to apply them to "near software"
(documentation and and entertainment data), using economic arguments
that he has rejected many times for anything written in C.  And,
interestingly enough, even within free software the true-GNUbies have
chosen the least free alternative.

 > It would take a determined effort to misunderstand (a) the
 > philosophy of communism, (b) the philosophy of Linux and open
 > source, and probably (a) + (b). And how could you leave out
 > libertarianism? How could you!

You're the one who left out (faux) libertarianism, by not
distinguishing between open source and free software as philosophies.