[FSUG-Bangalore] Fwd: [ox-en] Free Software, Free Society - Yes, we can! Yes, we will!
Anivar Aravind
anivar.aravind at gmail.com
Tue Dec 2 01:08:04 IST 2008
Come for FSFS. This is just a sample. More will be in the conference
Anivar
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Stefan Merten <smerten at oekonux.de>
Date: Mon, Dec 1, 2008 at 11:53 PM
Subject: [ox-en] Free Software, Free Society - Yes, we can! Yes, we will!
To: list-en at oekonux.org
Cc: Stefan Merten <smerten at oekonux.de>
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Dear list,
please find included a talk I'm proud of going to present in
Thiruvananthapuram (India) next week.
You'll find it with a nicer layout under
http://en.wiki.oekonux.org/StefanMerten/FreeSoftwareFreeSociety2008
As usual the fundament of the content is probably well-known here but
some newer insights are integrated.
Also as usual: Any feedback is wholeheartedly appreciated.
Grüße
Stefan
=== 8< === 8< === 8< === 8< === 8< === 8< === 8< === 8< === 8< === 8< ===
=====================================================
Free Software, Free Society: Yes We Can! Yes We Will!
=====================================================
.. Goettingen
:Author: Stefan Merten
:Date: 2008-12-09..11, Thiruvananthapuram
:Organization: Project Oekonux
:Organization: www.oekonux.org
.. contents::
The Oekonux Project
===================
A virtual project
- -----------------
* Oekonux = *Oekon*\ omie + lin\ *ux* (German)
* I.e.: Economy + Linux
.. class:: handout
German roots but meanwhile international
* Discussion process about Free Software and society
* Started in 1999
* Wide range of opinions and fields
* Common interest in emancipation
* Featuring: Michel Bauwens
* Virtual project
* Mailing lists
* Web sites (http://www.oekonux.org/)
* Wiki
* 4th Oekonux Conference
* 2009-03-27..29, Manchester (UK)
* Together with P2P Foundation
* http://www.oekonux-conference.org/
.. highlights::
Feel free to join!
Yes, we can: Free Software as a mode of production
==================================================
What is a mode of production?
- -----------------------------
* Mode of production describes how a society reproduces itself
* Important features
1. Products and means of production
2. Societal embedding of production
3. Productivity
.. highlights::
Mode of production is the fundament of a society
.. class:: handout
That is why we need to look at when we think about a fundamental
change in society
Examples for modes of production
- --------------------------------
.. class:: handout
To give you an idea of what mode of production means
* Mode of production in feudalism
* Agricultural production, peasants and artisans
* Personal relations in communities
* Aristocracy
* Low productivity
* Mode of production in capitalism
* Industrial production, workers
* Exchange based relationships (aka money)
* Democracy
* High productivity
.. highlights::
Mode of production shapes a society
Free Software as a new mode of production
- -----------------------------------------
.. class:: handout
What is special about Free Software then?
.. list-table::
:header-rows: 1
:stub-columns: 1
* *
* Capitalism
* Free Software
* * Flow of goods
* Property and abstract exchange
* Free flow of goods
* * Governance
* Command and control
* Volunteers and maintainers
* * Reason to contribute
* Alienated (earning money)
* Enjoying task and project
* * Societal vs. individual utility
* Separated into different spheres
* Directly intertwined
.. highlights::
..
Yes, we can!
-- Barack Obama
What is Selbstentfaltung?
- -------------------------
* Enjoying task and project = Selbstentfaltung
* Opposite: alienation
* Two basic characteristics
1. Having fun individually
2. While maintaining a relationship to society
* Important expression: Volunteering for useful tasks
* Selbstentfaltung aims at absolute quality
* If it is "your baby" you want to be *proud* of it
* No boss stops you from doing so
* Impossible if you need to make profit
.. highlights::
Free Software releases the power of Selbstentfaltung
Other examples of this mode of production
- -----------------------------------------
* Wikipedia
* Similar to Free Software in many respects
* Openness, volunteers, transnational, ...
* OpenAccess
* I.e.: Free Science
* Grass root movement from the scientists
* More
* Free Car projects
* Free Music
* Free Genetic information
* ...
* General term: **peer production**
.. highlights::
Peer production is generalizable beyond Free Software
Change we can believe in: Free Software as a germ form
======================================================
.. class:: handout
So far: Potential by a new mode of production
Now: How it is going to happen
What is a germ form?
- --------------------
* Germ form theory describes how development happens
* Originated in critical psychology (Holzkamp)
* Explains how the human psyche came into being
* Applicable to other fields
* Key characteristics of a germ form:
1. Structurally new
2. Emerging from and existing in the old
3. Potential to take over
.. highlights::
Germ form theory explains how fundamental change takes place
The five step model
- -------------------
1. *Emerging of the new*
.. class:: handout
* First appearances of the germ form
* Think: Free Software in 1984
2. *Crisis of the old*
.. class:: handout
* Slump of the old forms
* Think: Crisis of classical Unices on midrange servers
3. *Disseminating and expanding*
* Germ form becomes important *in the old process*
.. class:: handout
* Think: Free Software today
* Key question: Does the germ form keep its germ form features?
4. *Achieving dominance*
.. class:: handout
* Think: Proprietary software replaced by Free Software
5. *Restructuring of entire system*
.. class:: handout
* Restructuring of entire system
.. highlights::
..
Change we can believe in!
-- Barack Obama
Where do we stand today?
- ------------------------
* For software
* Free Software is well in phase 3: *disseminating and expanding*
* Pretty obvious
* Earlier phases were hard to recognize!
* For society
* Peer production is in phase 1: *emerging of the new*
* Thus it is hard to believe that it has big potential
* Also: Peer production will certainly change it's face
.. highlights::
Don't hold you breath - but stay tuned
Capitalism as a germ form phenomenon
- ------------------------------------
.. class:: handout
You may ask: Are there prior examples?
Yes!
* *Emerging of the new* happened long ago
.. class:: handout
Earliest forms appeared during the Roman Empire
* *Crisis of the old* happened when the feudal principles exhausted
.. class:: handout
For instance: Religious schism in the Christian church
For instance: European Enlightenment and new forms of science
transcended feudal principles
* *Disseminating and expanding* started with early textile industry
* Capitalism has *achieved dominance* in the 20th century
* Restructuring society is still not fully complete
* Important: Society changed *after* the productive fundament allowed
it
* Technical revolution was a precondition for a change of the mode
of production
.. highlights::
A new mode of production starting as a germ form *can* take over
Yes, we will: A peek into the future
====================================
The Utopia
- ----------
.. class:: handout
How will society look like after restructuring?
However: predictability is very limited
But on an abstract level things can be said
* Societal useful activities are Selbstentfaltung
* More automation reduces unwanted activities
* All goods are freely available
* Overcoming labor society
* No commodities, no labor
* No exchange, no money
* No alienation
.. highlights::
The start of a new era
Free information goods
- ----------------------
* The idea of Free Software spreads out already
* Seen: Wikipedia, OpenAccess
* Also: Free music, blogs, ...
* Upcoming: Free genetic information, ...
* Creative Commons licenses as an important step
.. highlights::
This happens already
Free material goods - the practical approach
- --------------------------------------------
* Free design communities
* Free car design
* Appropedia
* ...
* Make production cheaper
* User contributions become more important
* Some corporations start to include user contributions
* Gives them an advantage in competition
* See: Eric v. Hippel
* Key question: Access to expensive means of production
.. highlights::
First steps in the right direction
Free material goods - the theoretical approach
- ----------------------------------------------
* Historical example: Capitalism and agricultural production
* Agricultural production was key in feudalism
* Agricultural production still exists
* Agricultural production is an appendage of industrial production
* Proves: The focus of society moved
* Now: Material production becomes an appendage of information
production
* Information already *is* an important precondition for material
production
.. highlights::
Overall restructuring removes material production from the focus
Wrap up
=======
Summary
- -------
* Peer economy establishes a new mode of production
* Germ form theory shows how this mode of production can develop
Thank you
- ---------
* Thank you for your attention
* More on this: http://www.oekonux.org/
* Contact: smerten AT oekonux.de
* 4th Oekonux Conference
* *Free Software and Beyond - The World of Peer Production*
* 2009-03-27..29, Manchester (UK)
* http://www.oekonux-conference.org/
* Questions? Comments?
..
* Selbstentfaltung unleashes creativity
* Being creative is fun
* Creating requires responsibility
* Creating useful things relates to society
.. LocalWords: rst en OekonuxWiki Merten Thiruvananthapuram Oekon omie lin ux
.. LocalWords: Bauwens aka Barack Obama Unices Goettingen Appropedia Hippel
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_________________________________
Web-Site: http://www.oekonux.org/
Organization: http://www.oekonux.de/projekt/
Contact: projekt at oekonux.de
--
Any responsible politician should be encouraging a home grown Free
Software industry because it creates the basis for future jobs.
Learning Windows is like learning to eat every meal at McDonalds.
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