| I am sure by now that we have all seen the | | | | sharing. In this sense, it is the true heir |
| faux poster with the Microsoft representation | | | | to the revolution! If you have not made the |
| dressed in authoritative looking garb, | | | | logical extension, let me make the step for |
| looking over the shoulder of the programmer, | | | | you. The American founding fathers, were |
| with all the communist symbolism, and these | | | | working "open source". They planned together, |
| words "If you program open source you are | | | | for the common good, wrote the documents, and |
| programming communist" or something to that | | | | implemented the strategies that eventually |
| effect. It sure got a laugh out of me! It was | | | | lead to our independence from England, at |
| far enough away from the truth that it could | | | | their own expense, and at tremendous risk to |
| be funny, even to a child of the cold war. | | | | themselves! |
| The truth is, that "open source" thinking, is | | | | |
| actually the total antithesis of communism, | | | | It is, in short, people working together for |
| even more so than good old God Fearing | | | | a common goal, of their own free will, with |
| capitalism. I am a firm believer in | | | | no promise of any gain except in the |
| capitalism and its power to create wealth and | | | | satisfaction of doing it. In this way, it |
| solve problems, even environmental problems, | | | | actually resembles a non profit charity. The |
| if the green movement ever catches on and | | | | independent competition that this provides, |
| caches in. We are all in at least some way, | | | | drives the corporate powers to stay on their |
| motivated by money, and it is that | | | | feet, and stay up late at night to find new |
| motivation, when channeled in the right | | | | and better ways to provide products and |
| direction, which will eventually lower | | | | services that people will pay for. It is one |
| greenhouse gas emissions, and provide more | | | | of capitalism's great balances. The internet |
| earth friendly businesses. | | | | itself is one of those balancing mechanisms. |
| | | | It is only with the dissemination of |
| My point in mentioning this is that open | | | | information from all sides of any issue, that |
| source is the opposite of communism, because | | | | people are able to make truly informed |
| it is the proof that capitalism works. It can | | | | decisions, and the internet is the greatest |
| only work in a society that has created | | | | single leap forward in that area since the |
| enough wealth, to provide the free time, | | | | invention of the printing press. Free speech, |
| education, and resources to the numbers of | | | | freedom of expression, and free, open |
| people who work on these projects, who | | | | movement of information, these are the |
| cooperate willingly with no coercion, and | | | | hallmarks of a free society, and that is |
| most of whom will eventually gain some form | | | | something that is good for everyone, whether |
| of remuneration as a direct or indirect | | | | they like it or not! |
| result. This could not happen in forced | | | | |