Re: federated free software movement

[Miles Fidelman]

Leah Rowe via libreplanet-discuss wrote:
>     What if there was a combined Free Software, OSHW and Right to Repair
>     group, providing ideological leadership in a peer to peer fashion via
>     federated services (including Git-based code hosting) and an emphasis
>     on teaching how to self-host your own federated hosting infrastructure?
>
>     I'm discussing this on my twitter too:
>     [1]https://twitter.com/n4of7/status/1459522798892859399
>
>     And on Mastodon. [2]https://mas.to/@libreleah/107270135261193137
>
>     However, I'm also seeking discussion here on this list.
>
>     I wish to gauge the public's response before I proceed for real. Plus,
>     I intend to bring people onboard to help me start this new initiative.

Personally, I think the notion of a "movement" is just silly.  We're not 
talking about political campaign, or even legislative initiatives.

The goal is to write software that does useful things, and adheres to 
basic principles of openness - notably as enshrined in various licenses 
- and make it widely available.  (From a user point of view, the goal is 
to have such software available.)  None of this has anything to do with 
being a "movement."

Now... some kind of combined marketing program might make some sense.  
Building on things like the FSF/Gnu software list, opensource.com, and 
such.  As well as lining up behind specific legislative initiatives, 
like right-to-repair. And then there's supporting common-use facilities 
- like the OSU OSL.

Sounds to me that you're just trying to make some work, and find some 
funding, for a bunch of staff weenies.

Miles Fidelman

--
In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice.
In practice, there is.  .... Yogi Berra

Theory is when you know everything but nothing works.
Practice is when everything works but no one knows why.
In our lab, theory and practice are combined:
nothing works and no one knows why.  ... unknown