Message-Id: <200302242149.h1OLnPhp012175@marauder.illiana.net> From: Jared Smith <jared@trios.org> Date: Mon, 24 Feb 2003 15:49:26 -0600 Subject: Re: [OT] KC Independant Media Center and other politics
>Please take action!
Warning. There is more than a simple "new website
running on Linux" going on here.
Please note that, whether you like it or not, Linux
and the related open source philosophy is increasingly
being associated with t error ism, largely because the giant
protests happening worldwide are appropriating some of
the terminology and ethos of "open" and "free" even
though these terms originally developed in the relatively
serene environment of software development.
I hope you study; become informed on the profound political
implications of your obscure interest in an operating
system developed by a geek in Finland, and to be informed
early, or be completely surprised later, when others
hold you accountable for things you had no clue were
happening...
Consider, for example:
http://www.indymedia.ie/cgi-bin/newswire.cgi?id=29627
And even more consequential:
http://www.rand.org/publications/MR/MR1382/
You were wondering what sort of nine one one fallout would
come to an innocent computer geek like you? I propose you are
closer to the center of the storm than you conceived, even if
you _are_ a subscriber to 2 6 0 0 and knew about this
stuff five years ago.
KCLUG, this is one kind of FUD we have absolutely no defense
against, because those who consider Linux to be anti -
American will have a period of time when their
assertion is believed; we must be prepared to show them
a frank, honest, and convincing belief in the virtue and
ethics of freedom of information.
In the end, the history of the long journey to liberty
will be preserved in an open publishing format on an
open source platform, or else it is not yet the end.
Peace,
-Jared
<related muse>
Driving through Independence the other day, I saw a
sign indicating how far it is to Liberty. "Liberty 14"
read the sign. I mused out loud "How many millions of
people throughout history have longed to be only
fourteen miles from Liberty?" :-)
</muse>