Morality and Pragmatism in Free Software and Open Source
Text from Dave Yeats (Auburn University, USA)
Presented by Robin Smidsrød
Student, Vestfold University College
Philosphy differences
* Free Software Foundation
* Richard M. Stallman (RMS)
* Moral obligation
* Open Source movement
* Eric S. Raymond (ESR)
* Better software
Why this analysis?
* Understand implications of differences
* Make informed decisions
* Software use
* Software development efforts
Technical reasons
* Search for an alternative
to Microsoft Windows
* Governments encourage:
* Open standards
* Decentralized software development
* Improved security
* Reduced software costs
* Looks to Linux
Political reasons
* China:
* Examine security flaws
* Brazil:
* Leftist activism
* Others:
* Socialistic agenda
Philosophy fork
* Open Source movement
* Roots in free software
* Essential differences
Essential differences
* Free software
* Moral or ethical approach
* Open Source
* Pragmatic views
* Both value sharing of source code
* Different reasons
Understanding differences
* FOSS advocates should use more
precise terminology
* Assumption terminology is interchangeable
* It is usually not
Historical background
* Open source movement
* Grew out of 1970s academic settings
* Working on corporate sponsored projects
* Software freely shared
* Open, collaborative enviroment
End of collaborative methods
* 1980s
* Corporate sponsors copyright the code
* Claimed valuable intellectual property
* Signs of shift in economy
* From commodity-based
* To knowledge-based
* Threatened end of collaboration
* Stagnation of innovation
RMS creates the GPL
* Concerns:
* Unix would lose support for new software
* Access to source code cut off
* GNU Public License
* Maintain ability to collaborate
* Without restriction
* GNU Initiative
* Ensure software was freely available
The GPL
* Freedom
* Distribute
* Use
* Modify
* Restriction
* Derivatives must also comply
* Result: Improved code continues to be free
GPL adoption
* Older academics
* Computer enthusiasts
* Continued collaboration in the open
The Linux kernel
* Linus Torvalds (1991)
* Ideas from Unix
* Arguably most important GPL software
* Success of the GPL
* Shift towards widely cooperative efforts
in software development
* Debunked myth of centralized approach
* Stable and powerful
* Yet complex and rapid development schedule
Netscape opens up
* 1998
* Source code for their browser
* Codename: Mozilla
* ESR/Bruce Perens suggests term:
* Open Source
* Avoid confusion of term: free
* RMS defends:
* Free as in freedom/liberty
* Not as "without monetary cost"
Open Source Initiative
* Open Source Initiative (OSI) founded:
* Eric S. Raymond
* Bruce Perens
* Differentiate itself from FSF
Other voices
* Linus Torvalds (Linux originator)
* Robert Young (RedHat founder)
* RMS and ESR
* Most influential
* Most widely cited
Philosophy similarities
* ESR and RMS
* Agree at some level
* Benefit of free distribution
* See it in completely different ways
The RMS vs ESR debate
* Widely reported
* RMS disagrees
* ESR's pragmatic reasons
* Promoting term "Open Source"
* Heated exchange in articles:
* ESR: Shut up and Show Them the Code
* RMS: Why "Free Software" is better than "Open Source"
* Defending their own positions
* Popular to type-cast ESR and RMS as adversaries
Shift in terminology
* First it was to avoid confusion
* Signaled a shift in strategy for
open source advocates
Analyzing differences
* Free software
* Identifies with the user
* More utopian
* Communal, socialist approach
* Open Source
* Identifies with the owners/creators
* Individual liberty emphasis
* Individualistic approach
Scholars choosing side
* Lawrence Lessig
* Important intellectual property law scholar
* Quotes only RMS
* Understanding the reason behind such choices
* Impact outside software industry
"Free Software" vs "Open Source"
* Describe same category of software
* Say different things
* About the software
* About values
* Investigate philosophical differences
RMS: Free Software
* Four freedoms
0. Run program
* For any purpose
1. Study and adapt
* For your needs
2. Redistribute
* Help your neighbor
3. Improve and release your improvements
* Benefit the community
RMS: Free Software
* Concerned about freedom for users
* Not so much the program itself
RMS: Free Software
* The GNU Manifesto
* The Golden Rule
* "If I like a program I must share
it with other people who like it"
* Honorable thing to do
* To get along with only free software
* Decides to build the GNU toolset
* Sharing:
* Fundamental
* Only ethical alternative
RMS: Free Software
* Friendship to other programmers
* Commercialization of system software
* Enable them to make money
* Conflict with other programmers
* No longer comrades
* Must choose between friendship and the law
* Implies the law is in error
* Issue of software availability
RMS: Free Software
* Restricting software use
* is against nature itself
* Software distribution
* As natural as breathing
* Equate software with air itself
* Like regulating breathing
* Police state
* Draconian enforcement
RMS: Free Software
* Utopian society
* Harshly criticizes proprietary software
* Deliberate destruction
* Failure to be a good citizen
RMS: Free Software
* Values:
* Free software
* Friendship
* Freedom
* Good citizenship
* Community spirit
* Proprietary software
* Restriction
* Destruction
* Commercialization
* Materialism
RMS: Free Software
* Binary world
* Only good: Free software
* Only evil: Proprietary software
* Developing in capitalist proprietary environment
* Choosing to be less moral
ESR: Open Source Software
* Two pragmatic claims:
* Promotion of the individual
* Conscription of others
* Practical aspects of OSS
* Leads to technical superiority
ESR: Open Source Software
* Importance of lead developers
* Necessity of using others
* Superior technological artifact
ESR: Open Source Software
* Promotes egocentric view
* Emphasizes the role of the individual
* His own self-congratulation
* Incentives to volunteer
* Promote individuals over the group
* Himself as gifted individual
* Unusual to sing their own praise
ESR: Open Source Software
* Traits of good leaders
* Points to his own abilites
* Energetic extrovert
* Similar to standup comedians
* Cites his own superior skills
* Wise decisions
* Lesser programmers would miss
ESR: Open Source Software
* Generalizing about OSS project
* 19 tenets of software development
* Rule 1: "Scratching a personal itch"
* Motivation:
* Personal interest
* Not from need in the community
* Rule 18: "To solve an interesting problem,
start by finding a problem that is
interesting to you"
* Curiosity of the individual developer
* Justifies using the open source model
ESR: Open Source Software
* Only involve yourself in interesting projects
* Natural conclusion
* Hierarchial system that
promotes these individuals
* Role of core developer
* Horde of beta-testers
* Serve needs of the leader
* Leaders have great power over their community
ESR: Open Source Software
* Not every developer is a good leader
* Superior technical abilities
* People skills
* Provide incentive to other developers
to enlist their help
* Keep them stimulated and rewarded
* Give positive praise and feedback
ESR: Open Source Software
* Rewards:
* Ego satisfaction
* Reputation among other hackers
* No monetary incentive (=money)
* Rather selfish desire for glory
* Project leader
* Connect selfishness to difficult ends
* Reinforces leadership domination
* De-emphasizes benefit to community
ESR: Open Source Software
* Paradigm of encouraging egoistic behavior
* Truthful about how much you owe others
* Outsiders will treat you as you did every bit yourself
* Just being modest about your genius
ESR: Open Source Software
* Give credit to contributors in
your own community
* Underlying motive:
* Glory and recognition in the
greater open source community
ESR: Open Source Software
* Dominating force in his suggestions:
* Users must be recruited to create
successful open source projects
* Rule: "Treat your users as your most
valuable resource and they will
be your most valuable resource"
* Rule: "The next best thing to having good
ideas is recognizing good ideas
from your users"
* Implied: Users work for the project leader
* Use them like a natural resource
ESR: Open Source Software
* Projects co-developed
* Leader owns technology
* When leader loses interest, hand it over
* Competent successor
* Projects can be inherited
* Community follows project inheritance
ESR: Open Source Software
* Cultivating your user base
* Grow co-developers
* Work for the lead developer
* Rule 6: "Treating your users as co-developers
is your least-hassle route to rapid code
improvement and effective debugging"
* Users aren't really co-developers
* But treat them as such
* Ensures they will work for the project
ESR: Open Source Software
* Core developers can do everything themselves
* Enlisting help
* Less difficult way to reach your goal
* True benefit:
* Large body of volunteers to fix/detect problems
ESR: Open Source Software
* Rule 7: "Release early. Release often.
And listen to your customers."
* Value: Effective way to test for bugs
* Not sensitive to users' needs
* Maximize debugging effort
* At cost of unstable software
* Get more corrections
* Less-than-usable software can be released
* Focuses on users value to the software
* Not the other way around
Morality and pragmatism
* Emphasis:
* RMS: Moral behavior and obligation
* ESR: Technological superiority of
decentralized development process
Morality and pragmatism
* RMS: Free software
* More superior and more ethical
than proprietary software
* ESR main concern:
* Technical implications rather than moral
* ESR:
* No mention of proprietary software
as less ethical
* Still critical of proprietary software
Different value systems
* OSS users
* Pay careful attention
* Community participation
* Different viewpoints
* Add odds with each other
Choice of OSS projects to use
* Seeking out like-minded projects
* More moral focus
* Follow RMS approach
* Focus on technological superiority
* Follow ESR approach
* At cost of equality among users
Response to choice
* User aware of their choice
* Choosing affiliations
* Signal to others
* Adopts worldview of choice
Blending philosophies
* Many projects blend practices
* Can cause internal conflict
* Difference in "why" and "how"
* Neither philosphy perfect for everyone
* No final word
FLOSS
* More accurate term
* "Free/Libre Open Source Software"
* Keeps parts of both movements
Pop culture
* Term "Open Source" more popular
* More business friendly licensing
* Almost exclusively chosen
* Influence in broader culture
* Non-technical uses
* Used for yoga and t-shirt designs
* Cultural phenomenon
Open Source: Missing the mark
* About harnessing individuals
* Open Source government
* Not about moral imperative to share
* Not very different from healthy democracy
* Too late to correct trend
* More complicated value system
* Members of the open source community
can help others understand the difference
Other creative fields
* Very few have concept of source code
* Cannot replicate essential meaning
* Idea about protecting the right to share
* Creative licensing
* More precise language
* Creative Commons
Open Source and Free Software
* Many lump them together
* No consideration for differences
* ESR/RMS insists:
* Fundamental differences
* Disagree in principle
* Agree in practice
* Only developers themselves can attest
for their reasons to participate
Outsiders
* Think they operate in similar way
* Little insight on labeling
* Same licensing structures
* Essential difference
* Not technological
* Philosophical
* Useful to be more precise in terminology
* Choose your allegiance:
* Freedom
* Pragmatism
Other opinions
* Regarding personalities:
* "RMS is a jerk because he's passionate
and clueless about how to get what he
wants (sometimes), ESR is a jerk because
he's an egotistical jackass" (irc.perl.org)
* "I can't think of a topic I'd be
less interested in than 'ESR vs RMS'" (irc.perl.org)
* Seems to indicate some people really
don't care one way or the other about
the people behind the philosophies, just the
philosophies themselves
Other opinions
* "Revolution OS mostly portrayed the
open source point of view" (irc.perl.org)
* "RMS would liken free software to
free speech, it's necessary for a
fair, just, and free society" (irc.perl.org)
* "RMS doesn't know how to be an effective activist.
Which isn't to say that he hasn't done lots of stuff.
He's gotten a lot accomplished." (irc.perl.org)
* "RMS has done a lot that I am wildly grateful for.
I would rather shake his hand than punch his face.
But I wouldn't take a job working for him." (irc.perl.org)
Other opinions
* "As one person put it,
'Open source is a development methodology;
free software is a social movement.'" (Wikipedia)
* "DRM is a really hard issue.
I spend a lot of time thinking about it.
I have a hard time believing that DRM, per se, is evil.
I think DRM has been used as tool for evil by
corporations that represent themselves as
promoting culture while, in fact, destroying it." (irc.perl.org)
My own point of view
* Analogy from childhood:
* Your mother says that you should share
your candy with your brother
* You share your candy with your brother
* The question is what is your reason for doing it.
* RMS: You do it because it's a good thing and you
want to be good to your brother
(altruism / moral obligation)
* ESR: You do it because (in the future) when your brother
has some candy he will share with you (individual benefit).
My own point of view
* "I am very glad that there is a guy
like RMS around, but I don't think I'd
be able to be that kind of person myself"
* With regards to the DRM issue
* Popular media is too interesting to ignore
* Sometimes behavior of the messenger can
distort the message
* People tend to focus on people