[CS-FSLUG] Linux Is Capitalism in Action
Yama Ploskonka
Yama at veritasacademy.net
Thu May 18 17:13:23 CDT 2006
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
>
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