|
| From: | Johnny Merrill |
| Subject: | Re: [libreplanet-discuss] libreplanet-discuss Digest, Vol 72, Issue 1 |
| Date: | Mon, 1 Feb 2016 13:27:24 -0800 |
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Today's Topics:
1. Re: libreplanet-discuss Digest, Vol 71, Issue 6 (Charley Quinton)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Message: 1
Date: Mon, 1 Feb 2016 15:18:47 -0600
From: Charley Quinton <charleyquinton@gmail.com>
To: libreplanet-discuss@libreplanet.org
Subject: Re: [libreplanet-discuss] libreplanet-discuss Digest, Vol 71,
Issue 6
Message-ID:
<CAJxLMTiesT4O6v7K6w1NBaZB2WM_80bT67YLGXhTgk5LdVoWKA@mail.gmail.com">CAJxLMTiesT4O6v7K6w1NBaZB2WM_80bT67YLGXhTgk5LdVoWKA@mail.gmail.com>
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Are you reading my mind, my document here ->
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1MVB1RDkeS4Gh0eRtYhYPXFDK8I2ejcRyXi6ujtJPnH4/
or simply listening to common sense, Fabio? I agree whole-heartedly. See my
user page at LibrePlanet.
On Fri, Jan 22, 2016 at 11:00 AM, <
libreplanet-discuss-request@libreplanet.org> wrote:
> Send libreplanet-discuss mailing list submissions to
> libreplanet-discuss@libreplanet.org
>
> To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit
> https://lists.libreplanet.org/mailman/listinfo/libreplanet-discuss
> or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to
> libreplanet-discuss-request@libreplanet.org
>
> You can reach the person managing the list at
> libreplanet-discuss-owner@libreplanet.org
>
> When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific
> than "Re: Contents of libreplanet-discuss digest..."
>
>
> Today's Topics:
>
> 1. Teaching programming and free software to those who can
> listen (and everybody else, too) (Fabio Pesari)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Fri, 22 Jan 2016 16:39:19 +0100
> From: Fabio Pesari <fabiop@gnu.org>
> To: libreplanet-discuss@libreplanet.org
> Subject: [libreplanet-discuss] Teaching programming and free software
> to those who can listen (and everybody else, too)
> Message-ID: <56A24D27.2040101@gnu.org>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8
>
> tl;dr: The free software community should teach as many people as it
> can about programming and free software. The best that can
> happen is that those people contribute to free software, and the
> worst is that they become aware of free software and learn how
> computers work, which might encourage them to reject nonfree
> software even if they don't end up becoming developers. Win-win.
>
> There are many courses nowadays which aim to teach programming
> (especially in schools) at zero cost, but those are usually funded by
> corporations who develop proprietary software and want to promote their
> own agendas and walled gardens, as well as lower the wages of
> future programmers (which goes against their purposes, since it will
> inevitably encourage independent crowdfunding).
>
> The free software community should do its best to make sure that when
> people are taught about programming, there isn't any bias toward
> proprietary technologies, and that free software is taught as an
> essential concept (like free speech) rather than something optional
> (like "open source"), with an emphasis on copyleft (otherwise, we'd
> be doing those companies a favor).
>
> It would be ideal to teach free software and programming directly in
> schools, but we all know that won't happen anytime soon for a number of
> reasons, so I thought perhaps we could offer people some
> *zero cost courses which ideally, should be recognized as valid
> certifications* (can the FSF or FSFE help there, I wonder)?
>
> Here's some people who might benefit from it, and that should be
> especially targeted (since they are snubbed by all of society):
>
> 1. Poor, unemployed people [Easy]
>
> These are sad times. A lot of (especially young) people are
> committing suicide (or crimes, see point 3) due to unemployment (and
> its consequences, like the impossibility to start a family,
> homelessness, mental illness, addiction and debt) and automation is
> only going to reduce the number of available jobs in the future
> (except programmers, until they get replaced by AIs).
>
> Even if a Basic Income is implemented globally, those people would
> still have a lot of free time on their hands and depend completely
> on their government, which might hurt their dignity as well as
> require them to be "good citizens" and accept every potential future
> law in order to be eligible for the BI, some of which could force
> them to use proprietary software (since most countries are
> considering to ban encryption without backdoors, even if it's just
> mathematics, and it's hard to enforce such a ban unless proprietary
> software is also enforced; it isn't hard to imagine a world in which
> developing or even using free software requires explicit
> authorization, and only corporations and the government are granted
> it - even if such a regime would last very shortly).
>
> Teaching programming to these people can help them find a job in one
> of the few fields that won't be affected by automation anytime soon,
> and contributing to free software can offer them a chance to build
> their portfolios and CVs.
>
> If they want to keep contributing to free software after they find a
> job, good for them (and us); if they don't, at least they will know
> about free software, which is more than you can say about most
> people who work in IT nowadays (who are all about "open source",
> which often just means writing the same programs over and over in
> _javascript_ using Sublime Text on Mac OS X and releasing them without
> any licensing info on Github).
>
> 2. Retired people [Medium]
>
> Retired people have a lot of time on their hands and they often
> are treated as if they are useless or unable to keep up with the
> younger generations, but I don't think that's true, and many of them
> are lonely and abandoned by their own families and would greatly
> benefit from the warmth of the free software community, as well as
> the sense of purpose that contributing to free software can offer
> (or maybe, just a nice hobby, or a side job because pensions are
> too low, especially now that many adults have to live with their
> parents due to unemployment, see point 1).
>
> The way old people are ignored and put aside in our technological
> world is cold and dehumanizing, and only free software can offer them
> a chance to participate (because, willing or not, even old people
> will be forced to interact with technology at some point).
>
> I spent a lot of time with old people in my life and I know they
> like to feel useful (or rather, helpful), just like everybody else.
> I'm Italian and in my country, old women who can't chew their own
> food will spend many hours preparing it for others, even when they
> are close to death, and feel happy and fulfilled when they see
> someone eat and enjoy it, even strangers.
>
> I think giving old people a second chance to participate in society
> is great, and that they have a lot of wisdom and perspective to offer
> that most of us don't have (especially when it comes to
> accessibility, UI and UX. If a granny can understand something,
> it means it's done properly).
>
> Plus, there are tons of old people who used to work in software
> development, it's just a matter of getting them into free
> software. People in retirement age include Larry Wall, who just
> helped create Perl 6, Ken Thompson & Rob Pike, co-creators of Go,
> Bjarne Stroustrup, who's making C++ better than ever and of course,
> RMS. I'm sure there's someone like them out there, maybe someone
> who's worked as a researcher or a C64 developer for many years and
> who can outcode even the leetest of us, and has never heard of free
> software but would jump on it if given the chance.
>
> 3. Prisoners [Hard]
>
> This can sound controversial - who would use a program
> knowing that it was written by a criminal?
>
> Ignoring the fact that authors can legally use a pseudonym, that
> I don't know anything about who wrote the programs I use daily,
> that a lot of people are arrested for nonviolent (often
> drug-related) offences and that some of them committed crimes due to
> hopelessness (see point 1), people have no issue listening to
> popular music or watching Hollywood films or mainstream sports, so
> I don't expect them to react differently to software.
>
> Some people who've been arrested are sincerely sorry for what
> they've done, are quietly paying their dues and would like to
> contribute back to society and to be offered a chance to reintegrate
> for when (if) they get out.
> (No need to mention those who are innocent or have been arrested
> under ridiculous charges, like free software developer Bassel
> Khartabil - I'm pretty sure that if he's alive, he'd rather write
> some free code than not. Please never forget about him, it could
> have been anyone who posts here!)
>
> Prisoners can already write books and record albums in some
> countries; there's no rational reason a prisoner shouldn't develop
> free software and even without access to the Internet, they still can
> write code that can be reviewed (for hidden messages) and submitted
> by authorities on their behalf, using a pseudonym if necessary.
>
> There are plenty of prisoners who can already program and most of
> the others would benefit from learning this trade, as they will
> likely be poor and unemployed when they get out (point 1), and even
> worse, with a criminal record. Why not give them a chance to have a
> better future, so that they are less likely to repeat their mistakes
> when they get out?
>
> Even if someone has been given a life sentence (the "hidden death
> penalty"), free software could give them another shot at life,
> something purposeful to look forward to and a chance to share
> something with the outside world, to redeem themselves and leave
> behind some good memories of them.
>
> Prison should aim to rehabilitate people, and free software can do
> that by teaching its altruistic values.
>
> Teaching programming to as many people as possible, in general, can
> only be helpful for the purpose of spreading free software. Let's say
> you teach programming to 1000 people - even if all of them find a job
> developing proprietary software (unlikely), the chance that at least
> one of them (but realistically, more) will develop or promote free
> software in their spare time and/or as part of their job is pretty high
> compared to the chance people who haven't been taught the same have.
>
> Of course, free software needs more than programmers. Designers and
> people who can spread the word (some would call it "marketing") are
> actually a bigger necessity right now - as we have plenty of free
> replacements for proprietary programs but nobody is using them, like
> Tox or GNU/Linux itself - but the idea is that spreading free software
> awareness to the largest number of people possible will naturally also
> bring in some who have those skills.
>
> What do you think? Any programmers willing to share their knowledge with
> everybody else?
>
>
>
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> End of libreplanet-discuss Digest, Vol 71, Issue 6
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--
[image: --]
Charley Quinton
[image: http://]about.me/charley.quinton
<http://about.me/charley.quinton>
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