[CS-FSLUG] Linux Is Capitalism in Action

[Yama Ploskonka]

 From a Game Theory perspective, a society that embraces Open Source is 
bound to gain much more than one that does not.  It is a typical, very 
simple case of Prisoner's Dilemma, probably the only thing most people 
(like me) know of Game Theory.

for my scholarly authority, let me cite one of the greatest successes of 
the Open Source principles, Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prisoner's_Dilemma

Nevertheless, what Linux and Libre is achieving is what (supposedly) was 
to be socialism.  Still Libre is a horrible strategy in terms of 
absolute bottom line:  The investment going into it is so far, far ahead 
of what is gained that it is not even funny.  Example:  Suppose I am 
paid $50 an hour (which I am not :-( as a programmer in some software 
box (I'm an elementary school teacher.  In a Christian school... I might 
not be richer, but I am happier, oh yes siree).
continuing the assumption in my "spare time" I do Linux.  I do not 
charge anybody for that time.  Yet, in theory I could be using that time 
for some consulting work at $50 an hour.   Say, I add 10 lines of code 
to the kernel.  How much does that cost?  especially counting reading 
all those lists and negotiating to have my 10 lines recognized?  4 hours 
a night, every night, for say, 2 years?  I'm sure someone who actually 
has contributed to the kernel can give real figures, but in comparison, 
Microsoft with its billions is still cheaper.

The real difference comes when a "critical mass" is achieved.  When 
people actually have their lives enriched because of Libre.  When the 
zillions who otherwise would have to pay allegiance to Guillermo 
Portones actually can afford that silly $100 laptop.  THEN we start 
talking about gain, as the enormous inertia of gigantic investment 
starts gaining momentum and then is utterly unstoppable.

Where socialism went wrong is that it tried to impose Righteous Thinking 
on people, but still allowed for abusers to take over.  I still believe 
socialism is the most close system to Christianity, except that it does 
not work.  Hmm, Christianity doesn't seem to work that well either, as a 
system nations can rule themselves by.  Maybe what most people call 
Christianity ain't, but then that's another story. (in my church there's 
this map printed by someone somewhere that indicates there were only 3 
million Christians in the whole world in 1990).

What is making the change towards Righteousness possible (and I believe 
you folks are living a truer Christian lifestyle because you support and 
promote Libre -, no, no need to thank me, I'm honored by the fact that I 
get to hang around you) is capitalism.  The beast of greed has a 
bleeding side, because we have enough to be able to spend time in 
economically negative pursuits like Libre.  Were I a teacher in Uruguay 
I would be barely making like 300 bucks per month, and right now I would 
be arriving to my house from my second job just in time for tutoring 
students to show up, and I probably would be crying in my heart because 
I know I would never be able to afford escaping from that.
Boy, we are privileged.  We are BLESSED.  We are chosen.  We have a 
task, and it is no accident we have been allowed to take it, but an 
Intelligent Design to help people gain better chances by sharing wealth,
Because much was given us.

For my authority here I quote Acts 2:11

Yama



Ed Hurst wrote:
> Linux held up as an example of capitalism with a somewhat different
> profit motive. You and I know this, but it's rather surprising to see it
> explained on a site which has defended MS in the past.
> 
> "Although Mr. Ballmer would probably deny it, Linux is a product of
> freedom and private property and then of capitalism, just as Microsoft
> is. Both use scarce means (time and labor) to offer a product (software)
> that is valuable to consumers. If a product is priced at $0 and another
> one at $100, this still does not imply anything except that they focus
> on different ends: one group prefers to offer the software free of
> charge and another prefers to sell it. And this does not change a thing.
> Whether you are a business owner investing billions of dollars into free
> software development and support or a simple hobbyist contributing in
> your spare time, everyone involved with Linux creates value. And this
> creation of value is based on entrepreneurial action, not by the
> government's interventionism or communism."
> 
> http://www.lewrockwell.com/lora/m.lora22.html
>