Re: Users versus developers (was: Tempo mark alignment)

[Ari Torhamo]

la, 2009-05-23 kello 23:05 +0100, Anthony W. Youngman kirjoitti:
> In message <address@hidden>, Ari Torhamo 

> >You don't quite seem to get Tim's point: everybody can't and doesn't
> >need to participate every project they find useful - especially when
> >they don't consume the resources of the project in question (more than
> >marginally). Most people don't contribute equally to things in their
> >life - people specialize, which is good, because they have different
> >lives, situations, skills and talents. It's good to encourage people and
> >make them aware of the ways to contribute - and then leave it to them.
> 
> Unfortunately, Tim's point is at odds with the philosophy of free 
> software - which can be pretty succinctly stated as "he who writes the 
> software makes the rules".

It's hard to believe that you are serious. That may be your free
software philosophy, but not *the* free software philosophy. If the
essence of free software was about who makes the rules, there would be
no free software movement. Ever heard of the idea of freedom? Of
sharing? The idea of giving something for nothing is important to many.
Doesn't that qualify as a free software philosophy? What about the idea
of Ubuntu? There are several other free software philosophies. What
makes your's *the" one?

> And while I think that Graham is often more "bad cop" than necessary 
> (I've fallen foul of him too :-) he does have somewhat of a valid point 
> - if you're not prepared to put in any work then why should other people 
> put in work on your behalf?

A world where people always count how much they give to each other and
expect to get the same amount back sounds like a sad place to me. If
there's no joy in giving, it seems that the most important thing is
lost. 


Regards,

Ari