Re: [Social-discuss] Languages -- let's make a web application

[Ted Smith]

On Sun, 2010-03-28 at 11:13 -0700, Jason Self wrote:
> Matt Lee <address@hidden> wrote ..
> > On 03/28/2010 02:03 PM, Henry Litwhiler wrote:
> > 
> > > I don't see why users have to be able to use commodity hosting. If we
> > > make it easy enough, anyone can host their own GNU Social install, p2p
> > > style.
> > 
> > Because I don't believe the majority of people will.
> > 
> > What will they host it on? The majority of Facebook users don't have a
> > machine they can install their own servers on. Being able to use this
> > from anywhere is key for success, and that means browser based.
> 
> +1
> 
> Plus, remember that many ISPs (at least in the U.S.) prohibit their customers
> from running "servers" under penalty of cancellation.

The GNU Project should not bend itself to the whims of profiteering
leeches.

It is true that most US ISPs try to limit their customers from being
anything other than a "consumer" of "content". They do this through
potentially illegal service agreements that prohibit them from sending
data, and by choking their upstream bandwidth. This is similar to how
proprietary software attempts to create a system wherein they are the
sole arbiter of computation, centrally pushing a digital world out to
passive "consumers".

The Free Software movement long ago rejected the dichotomy of
producer/consumer when it relates to software. We believe that every
user has the right to modify their own software, and to re-distribute
it. I do not see why we should accept this model when it comes to
computer-based communications and social networks. Indeed, part of the
point of GNU Social (it seems to me) is to reduce the number of
centralized data-fortresses.

PS: This email might read very strongly, and rightfully so, because I
feel very strongly about the topics it discusses. I am angry - but at
the unjust and hierarchical structure in place in society at large, not
at anyone on this mailing list. We here are part of the solution. :-)

signature.asc
Description: This is a digitally signed message part