Re: Ethical Jobs (was Re: [DMCA-Activists] TCPA/Palladium)

[Serge Wroclawski]

On Fri, 28 Jun 2002, Evan Prodromou wrote:

> If this is actually the case, you can maybe find a job waiting tables,
> filing insurance claims, or scaling fish.

Maybe, but at least two of those jobs will probably include *using*
non-free software.

My job occasionally requires me to use Free Software and I have to take a
pennance.

> If the question of writing proprietary software for increasingly
> barbaric platforms is sufficiently difficult for you, you should
> consider putting the big $$ behind you and doing something else for a
> living. You can always write Free Software in your Free Time, like 95%
> of other people do.

Hold up a bit here...
What the heck is a "barbaric platform"? Most of us people from Europe are
genetically and culturally associated with barbarians and I take offense
as being lumped in with Microsoft!

Also, we need to ask ourselves if the issue of using proprietary software
is the same as making it is the same as buying new proprietary software
and is that the same as using proprietary "freeware".

That's not a discussion for this list- but you must examine these issues
at least in your own mind.

Now, if we think that *use* of non-Free Software is neutral (as one does
not promote it by using it, and the shackles one places on themselves is
by choice with the job rather than helping craft or sell the shackles for
others), then limiting oneself to menial labor jobs, while cute speech
material for RMS, is not something we can or should seriously be
discussing for people's careers.

If we say that "Our ethics demand that you should stop being a programmer
in the proprietary world and instead scale fish.", this will drive people
to label us as extremists and also to find that our philosophy is
completely impractical. Even if someone agrees with us, do they really
want to be scaling fish? :)

Rather, saying something like "Maybe you can find another career, possibly
in law, the health profession or some other career where you can do good
work and not shackle people into non-free Software." helps emphasize the
point that's at the heart of what I believe Free Software is about, and
that's helping others.

> I'm not saying that you can't participate in Free Software without
> renouncing your day job in proprietary software. I'm just saying that
> if you've got an ethical decision to make, you need to realize that
> it's going to be a difficult road, no matter how you make it happen.

While I would say that they are not equal and do not balance out equally,
not ethically and not practically.

Ethically, even *if* the two actions were equilivant (making non-free and
free) there'd surely be some kind of dissonance in your mind if you can
simultaniously, say free slaves and at the same time enslave or cut people
and at the same time administer first aid to others.

In the practical area, the time and effort you spend at work making
software that puts people in shackles will be backed by your employer and
by use of advertising and other dollars, be encouraging people to
use this non-Free software.

You can't make a Free version of the same program at home becuase your
employer can claim (rightfully or not) ownership of that work (even if
they aren't right- they will be able to make your life miserable).

- Serge Wroclawski