Open Source Values

[Brian Densmore]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jim Herrmann 
> 
> ... What I would like to know from some of you guys is, which of 
> your values 
> are best served by OSS?  Please let me know either directly in 
> confidence, or publicly to the list, where you consider 
> yourself on the 
> conservative/moderate/progressive political spectrum, and what it is 
> about OSS that appeals to you. 

What I like about OSS? Hmmm... that tough.
Well I like Linux because it doesn't crash like the older Windows OSes.
It doesn't have nauseating click-through license agreements.
It runs XWindows and various desktop managers that allow me to have
multiple virtual desktops within my desktop (not to mention I can have
multiple desktops by running multiple copies). I used to use a Norton Desktop
on older Windows which gave me a similar effect. So I guess that would fall under
better usability, at least for me.
I like the idea of free as in speech, and that I can control what is and
is not installed/running on my own hardware.
What's not to like about free as in beer either, Although I have bought
many versions of Linux and some other OSS software. It's nice to be able
to pull something down, install it and try it out. I guess that is why I've always
like shareware also. It's also nice to not have to worry about losing your
system to a virus/worm. Not that Linux is immune, just harder to destroy.

So I guess the way I feel about Linux could be extended to OSS in general. 

1) More stable than older versions of Windows (they've gotten a lot better in 
   recent years).
2) Freedom (freedom to: think, choose, from nauseating legalalities, use, share)
3) Safety from viruses and worms.
4) The community in general.

Politically? Hmm... conservative-liberal-"social-democratic"-empowerist(?)
or something like that.
(basically I tend more away from the right (my liberal part) but not entirely, 
and not everything on the left appeals to me either (my conservative part), yet 
I feel that we are responsible for taking take of our fellow beings (my social-
democratic part) while still making people responsible for their own actions 
(my empowerist part - for lack of a better term)). 
See if you can pigeonhole that one. Oh sure I could say liberal and be done with it,
but it wouldn't really fit me.

Brian Densmore