The economic concentration also involves technology. An escape.
There are several texts that explain what Free Software is and most of them begin by describing the four freedoms that the software must meet to be considered free. While it is not wrong, we believe that to understand Free Software and its implications should start by saying that free software is a social movement that was born in the early 70s in response to privatization of knowledge advancement. A breakthrough occurred on the privatization of the immaterial world in general with a deepening parts of the immaterial world that were already privatized (eg .: copyrights).
It is worth noting that large groups today economic concentrate their power in the expansion of the privatization: Monsanto (and all the privatization of life that accompanies bioengineering), Microsoft (with the privatization of the code precisely), Big Pharma (based on patents) and the great cultural and media industries (based on the extension of the copyright.)
The software was born free, but at that time there was no talk of free or not free (in many cases do not recognize the freedoms until we lose). It was researched and developed software and then the results were published in the areas of research (community of peers). It was only years later that the industry had the ability to obfuscate (deliberate change that is not easy to understand) the code written by a / a programmer / a so it can not be read by another human being and with this action to remove the possibility to know how software is made, the central device of our societies. Because the software is not only in the home computer and the servers that make up the Internet, but the software is present in all our lives: on the phone, at ATMs, in medical technology, in cars, etc., and is why we talk about software is a cornerstone of our society.
In analyzing the issue we realize that privatization of the software is neither more nor less than the privatization of writing and algorithms mathematicians.
For what is the software? The software is a recipe, a written action plan for / a programmer / a in different programming languages (formal language) that is interpreted by the machine to perform the same calculations / actions that program who wish. In this regard it is worth noting that it is not the software that is free, it is the user who obtains freedoms when you use the software that is free. Free software in its formal / legal definition is the one that allows the user freedom in both respects four freedoms:
* Run the software in any condition. For example, non-free or proprietary software can not be used in countries that are considered the so-called axis of evil by the United States
* Study the software. To what is necessary to have access to the code ( to see how it is written)
* Copy. backing freely
* Distribute the improvements made. give the community the improvements implemented
. response to the emerging software industry is born the “community” of Free Software and the principles (freedom) that have appointed their work begins to return things to the previous state (in an interesting resurgence of community-voltage industry they experienced during the eighteenth century). From the first communications between programmers or hackers (understood in the positive sense as business person seeking to solve problems) is the word community and works to keep the environment in which knowledge is shared. This leads to the creation of a free license, ie a legal tool to sustain the nascent production logic Free Software. The forms of cooperation and sociability that were generated in the hacker environment in the early development of the Internet today and that keep the “users” of GNU / Linux are an example to study the production of new codes and new ways of relating. The idea of ”community” summarizes these new (old) ways of understanding the relationships between people. . Relationships that is knowledge and contribution to the whole that impacts the social valuation and building the community of peers
Approaching this world supposed to meet with words and concepts such as: Community Freedom, Culture, Social Movement, among others. As communities, there are Free Software communities that are organized by geographical proximity, by taste for a particular technology, near a university or similar institution, etc. In recent years we can see a decline in participation in Free Software communities (especially in face meetings), at least in the country, but not that of the ideas and products that constitute this universe. In these communities, where knowledge has a very important role, can find words (all its own language), humor, clothing, etc., to cohere and generate recognition of the members.
Before continue it seems important to note that the Internet is a cornerstone for the functioning of these groups and thus production (as it is for society as a whole). But it is also important to note that the Internet is as we know it today, largely thanks to the efforts and actions of this movement based on this open logic, built the network as opposed to other ideas planned a closed network and under Control (business and / or state). While beyond the scope of this paper this point is particularly important in this, as it is in constant discussion control over network privacy and ways to navigate and find information on it.
also is important to note that although you may think you do not know anything about Free Software and has never been used, Free Software is present in our lives, was used (no doubt) by anyone who is reading this and is required for the current state of technology known condition. While it has not advanced in regard to the use in household terminals Free Software is the leading choice in servers, network infrastructure and mobile phones. Just to mention a few important points we can say that the operating system of most of the world’s servers are free (Debian, Ubuntu, Centos, Suse, etc.), database of the world’s most widely used free software (MySQL) and as well as the most used web server (Apache). An estimated supercomputers over 95% use free operating systems (GNU / Linux systems that are developed under the GNU and Linux kernel are known).
Returning to our analysis we can see the importance having social Free Software and what it means to think technology and knowledge in our societies. If the software is a central device in our societies, who knows how it is done and can prevent or limit the rest study and its use has a unique (political and economic) power. In fact, the complaint of Edward Snowden and the coming forth of the PRISM program put in discussion topics from the Free Software community has been warning for some time. Beyond the ethical debates arising from the spying and surveillance network, these reports showed that when a sovereign state does not dominate the technology based on which performs all its actions-because companies do not show the code software and fail standards- technological dependence and a possible security breach is generated, with serious social consequences, which can only be resolved under the principles of philosophy posed Free Software for building technological sovereignty.
From the perspective of the social economy can observe that this movement poses an excellent example of the principle of reciprocity (which describes Karl Polanyi) as Free Software developers share their knowledge and code without expecting something in return for their community of peers, so they build a different way of producing code and build their groups / communities with their own human groups in which market exchange is not money or generating acceptance and social recognition specificities. Programmers share not only your code (in various digital repositories like github or bitbucket be) but also make real symmetric spaces of knowledge construction using mailing lists, forums, programming tips pages, chat rooms, etc. ., complemented with the set of lectures, workshops and classroom lectures.
It is important to note that Free Software is a different software production form of the object as it is a production that can be characterized as decentralized and governed by the logic of symmetry understood the same as exchanging peer recognition based on trust that gives the community ownership (software). This characterization is aware that there are very different ways of producing free software (including all software and operating systems): from software created by a community without a center or clear impeller, to systems that are developed and delivered by a person or company leading the development, through software with a foundation or association behind the project and decide on production and the future of it.
is worth mentioning that the universe of free software is a complex space various actors with different visions and goals are recognized. Large companies that base their business on free software (Facebook, Gmail, Twitter and many other big Internet considered, created and maintain their businesses with free tools) development companies with a mixed policy (free and proprietary software) , free software companies, foundations, communities, programmers, cooperative software development work (discussed below) and a host of actors. This complex map of actors shows that talk of a complex social phenomenon, but made very clearly by the idea of symmetry builds reciprocity among community members.
When it comes to software production we mean the production of a complex object and the Free Software community has shown that this form of production is more efficient than the pyramidal business logic. That’s why Free Software is used in everything that relates to the network infrastructure, ie, that which should be more stable, robust and secure. This form of production is based on the principles of being open to encourage cooperation, allocate responsibilities and release content fast and often to correct errors as soon as possible. Undoubtedly it is the Internet and communication capabilities allowing this operation which must be assessed in its proper place as a true revolution in the ways of thinking about the work and the creation of intangible assets.
So as from the beginning of the factory system we can say that there are cooperative experiences, we can also note that from the beginning of the software development world experiences of cooperation, however it is in the last decade that arose businesses organized as cooperatives work devoted to the development Free software. It is in this context that we understand that the armed power of labor unions, the sharing of knowledge driven from the beginning by the Free Software in economic ventures that allow interested individuals live their developments. Importantly times in the last two movements recognized each other at various events and joint actions between what the statement made Richard Stallman (one of the founders of the Free Software movement) and Euclides Mance (economy) is highlighted, regarding it not as an ideal build but as crystallization of a reality existing projects.
In the cooperative they say that it was created to solve a need, in the case of these enterprises do not arise from the specific need of work, as it occurs in areas of the economy near full employment. Members recognize that might work (worked) in other companies, but they chose the cooperative. In these cases it could be said that the union intended to solve a specific need: work collaboratively, that is the necessity that was not covered in the other job opportunities of the subjects (the labor market information is unique to be a market with high wages with high turnover and dissatisfaction on the part of workers). These cooperative experiences have grown significantly in the country (about 30 enterprises) and also exist in other countries such as Brazil, USA, Italy, France, among others. In Argentina these ventures were born with worker cooperatives of young professionals who work in other areas (communication, accounting, etc..).
The Free Software raises issues that go beyond the software object and have to do with the ways we use and develop the knowledge and technology in our societies. In this regard is that of social economy is important to take these issues and study these forms of production because we consider it knowledge sharing and open technologies which can generate virtuous circles of construction technology intended to transform the world in which we live. In this sense we believe it is important to constantly re discussing the social needs of software (or the software can help solve.)
Monitor or predict the social impact of a piece of software is not very complex impossible, especially if we take those programs or tools (algorithms, libraries, etc.) that are used as a toolbox for the production of more software into account. But nevertheless consider it necessary to keep the question of human needs and social impact of technology alive, while our production has as its ultimate goal satisfaction.
Technological development is marked by the dictates the market and there are incurable diseases (diseases because they are poor) are computer developments that could transform our societies if they could be thought outside the logic of reproduction of capital. We have the example of planned obsolescence, ie, that planning fails to perform factory technology producers to force technological change and determine the end of life. Discuss the production of software is to discuss the development of the productive forces.
The Free Software has worked in a technology development and resolution needs in today’s society, but it also should be noted that large corporations are which have used the model of free software for playback. We still have many challenges, perhaps the first of which is to engage today’s society than talk technology and begin to reflect on how collaborate in meeting the needs of all in a context of expanded reproduction of life is incompatible with consumerism current technology. Furthermore it is necessary to deepen the social constructions that their actions based on reciprocity, not just the profit motive, to show the importance of knowledge and open technology that can generate virtuous circles of social transformation.
(*) Paul Vannini. BA in Sociology, UBA. M.Sc. in Social Economics, UNGS. Co-Founder of the Free Software gcoop.
This article is part of the production of Voices in the Phoenix, you can review in its entirety by clicking here.
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