The Free Software Life Style
And I think after years of being immersed in this current and a lot of contemplation of the world, of life itself, of people. I think I came to a conclusion regarding free software and I think it could be expressed in the following way.
Free Software is a lifestyle, not a product or piece of code. The true value is in what can be achieved with free software, the lives that can affect positively, not in the code specifically, not in the version to be published.
It’s about sharing and creating bonds between people. It is about achieving more of life itself. And in a certain way to enable this possibility, it is necessary to stop for a moment and observe the details, without losing the general idea.
Licenses, copyleft, the GNU project and the FSF (and sister organizations) are part of the details. Of the actuators that allow the general idea to be possible, however, I consider that today a lot of energy and attention is invested in the smallest details than in achieving the general idea.
To be part of the free software movement, you must not be a software developer, nor work in IT or Information Technology.
To be part of the Free Software movement, you must be able to respect and cultivate goodwill towards your neighbor.
That is what is needed.
It could be that you do not touch a computer in your life, but if those values are present in you, the movement of free software is latent in your lifestyle.
Personally I think it’s not about choosing an idealistic and / or dreamy philosophy, it’s about having a realistic philosophy, so making the free software movement your lifestyle has a great impact positive for the movement and the community.
After writing the above lines, the classic questions of some people are:
How do they all want to live with free software? When was the last time you ate respect and goodwill? Are they communists?
And the answers to these questions are simpler than they seem and the reality is this.
1. Not everyone will live on free software , that’s how simple reality is.
NOT everyone involved will live from working in free software.
And this is very simple, nobody gets paid for working at something.
Someone is paid to solve a problem or a need.
Some solved problems pay more than others, it would be silly to tell someone – Do not do that that could result in the improvement of your person and your loved ones, to develop free software –
Therefore many people could support free software and work on things very different from computing.
2. Nobody eats respect or good will.
Self-respect and to others, as well as an attitude of goodwill, are properties observed in people with a high personal development, cultivated throughout their growth process.
You can not eat a property, just as satisfying a basic need like eating, is not conditioned to deny these personal attitudes.
On the contrary, these must be developed by covering basic needs until reaching a state of integrity.
3. Free software can exist in both economic-social, capitalist and communist systems.
Personally and together with the vast majority of Western people, I live in a capitalist system, I have a vision of an economic system.
If you are a communist and you can have a lifestyle that is valuable to you, excellent.
On the other hand if you are a capitalist and that works for you to be a better person, go ahead.
Free software is not fighting with any.
For this reason, I consider that saying that you are a free software activist is not a job, a fashion or a facet, it is a lifestyle.
I believe that there is much that can be improved in a movement such as free software, in their communities and in the direction of them.
However, as people, this movement can grow, our movement has the ability to achieve the technological and social integrity that pursues its values, which is worth the work that this implies.
To all those who did not know the world of Free Software, welcome.
Let’s make this movement a philosophy of life.