Comments on: Living in an Open Society http://www.worthlessgenius.com/2009/06/02/living-in-an-open-society/ Wasting valuable time and resources since 1984 Fri, 16 Dec 2011 17:41:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Amazon’s Kindle Exchange Program http://www.worthlessgenius.com/2009/06/02/living-in-an-open-society/comment-page-1/#comment-68860 Amazon’s Kindle Exchange Program Sat, 24 Jul 2010 12:44:45 +0000 http://www.worthlessgenius.com/?p=1146#comment-68860 [...] Since I am an entitled capitalist consumer, and I know that concept is complete fantasy, the path of least resistant ceases to be the altruistic one, and instead becomes the eye-patch-wearing, peg-legged one. [...] [...] Since I am an entitled capitalist consumer, and I know that concept is complete fantasy, the path of least resistant ceases to be the altruistic one, and instead becomes the eye-patch-wearing, peg-legged one. [...]

]]> By: How To: Speed Up Your PowerPC Mac | Worthless Genius http://www.worthlessgenius.com/2009/06/02/living-in-an-open-society/comment-page-1/#comment-43030 How To: Speed Up Your PowerPC Mac | Worthless Genius Wed, 14 Oct 2009 18:08:45 +0000 http://www.worthlessgenius.com/?p=1146#comment-43030 [...] it is only $12.95 for a single user license and a lifetime of updates.  I own a license, and since I’ve turned a corner, it feels good to support independent developers and get an ever-useful application in [...] [...] it is only $12.95 for a single user license and a lifetime of updates.  I own a license, and since I’ve turned a corner, it feels good to support independent developers and get an ever-useful application in [...]

]]> By: silven http://www.worthlessgenius.com/2009/06/02/living-in-an-open-society/comment-page-1/#comment-21925 silven Fri, 03 Jul 2009 14:43:03 +0000 http://www.worthlessgenius.com/?p=1146#comment-21925 Free (as in price) can work too. I don't use propriatary software. I haven't since the turn of the century. I don't like the idea, and I don't like stealing either. So I vote with my feet. But that doesn't mean that you have to be a free-loader to use free products. In the software world, I've helped port the linux kernel to the omap850 processor, and yesterday I cracked open the source code for the seamonkey (firefox) web browser because I was getting SIGBUS errors on my sparc workstation. When I program for a client, I charge ~$100/hr for my time. And I've invested alot of time in OSS over the years. Even something as small as filing a bug report or answering questions on a forum or IRC. If I look at it that way, I've probably "paid" in time thousands of dollars for the OSS that I use. It feels good to contribute back, but I ask myself. What is the best way to contribute to society? Is it lining the big software vendor's pockets, and charging them with the responsibility of disbursing that money? Or getting my hands greasy in a metaphorical sense and getting something done. The answer isn't clear cut, and I'm having a meeting today to discuss the use of non-free software in my business, and I think we're going to use it. People have disassociated money and compensation. Big Head Todd and the Monsters, have their songs up on the website for free download. They are using that to help leverage their tours to get more people to see the shows since that's more profitable for them than reccord sales. You can bet if they came here I would do everything to go. The compensation model of society is changing. There is a lot more service bartering and non-monetary compensation going on. I can't see this changing in the near term. IMO the important thing is to be able to understand it, and live as intelligently as you can. Free (as in price) can work too.

I don’t use propriatary software. I haven’t since the turn of the century. I don’t like the idea, and I don’t like stealing either. So I vote with my feet.

But that doesn’t mean that you have to be a free-loader to use free products. In the software world, I’ve helped port the linux kernel to the omap850 processor, and yesterday I cracked open the source code for the seamonkey (firefox) web browser because I was getting SIGBUS errors on my sparc workstation.

When I program for a client, I charge ~$100/hr for my time. And I’ve invested alot of time in OSS over the years. Even something as small as filing a bug report or answering questions on a forum or IRC.

If I look at it that way, I’ve probably “paid” in time thousands of dollars for the OSS that I use.

It feels good to contribute back, but I ask myself. What is the best way to contribute to society? Is it lining the big software vendor’s pockets, and charging them with the responsibility of disbursing that money? Or getting my hands greasy in a metaphorical sense and getting something done.

The answer isn’t clear cut, and I’m having a meeting today to discuss the use of non-free software in my business, and I think we’re going to use it.

People have disassociated money and compensation.

Big Head Todd and the Monsters, have their songs up on the website for free download. They are using that to help leverage their tours to get more people to see the shows since that’s more profitable for them than reccord sales. You can bet if they came here I would do everything to go.

The compensation model of society is changing. There is a lot more service bartering and non-monetary compensation going on. I can’t see this changing in the near term.

IMO the important thing is to be able to understand it, and live as intelligently as you can.

]]> By: Cris Good http://www.worthlessgenius.com/2009/06/02/living-in-an-open-society/comment-page-1/#comment-16831 Cris Good Wed, 03 Jun 2009 01:10:17 +0000 http://www.worthlessgenius.com/?p=1146#comment-16831 Yes, it does feel good to know that you've come by it in an honest way. I too, used to try and get the freebies with the hacks and code cracks. I'd always get this eerie feeling of standing in a dark back alley in a seedy section of town, while looking over my shoulder...just hoping that "Ripper" would hurry up and pass me the goods so I could get stepping and leave unnoticed. I'm so glad I can just do my business on the up-and-up. My conscience is clear..I'm not stealing from the little guys ...or the big guys anymore. Yes, it does feel good to know that you’ve come by it in an honest way. I too, used to try and get the freebies with the hacks and code cracks. I’d always get this eerie feeling of standing in a dark back alley in a seedy section of town, while looking over my shoulder…just hoping that “Ripper” would hurry up and pass me the goods so I could get stepping and leave unnoticed.
I’m so glad I can just do my business on the up-and-up. My conscience is clear..I’m not stealing from the little guys …or the big guys anymore.

]]> By: Posts about Science and Technology as of June 2, 2009 | Tatuaj.org http://www.worthlessgenius.com/2009/06/02/living-in-an-open-society/comment-page-1/#comment-16760 Posts about Science and Technology as of June 2, 2009 | Tatuaj.org Tue, 02 Jun 2009 14:21:57 +0000 http://www.worthlessgenius.com/?p=1146#comment-16760 [...] There are many secondary chakras as well as 7 primary chakras in the body. In Sanskrit Living in an Open Society - worthlessgenius.com 06/02/2009 I recently had a conversation with a close friend about the topic [...] [...] There are many secondary chakras as well as 7 primary chakras in the body. In Sanskrit Living in an Open Society – worthlessgenius.com 06/02/2009 I recently had a conversation with a close friend about the topic [...]

]]> By: Debbie Wiles http://www.worthlessgenius.com/2009/06/02/living-in-an-open-society/comment-page-1/#comment-16759 Debbie Wiles Tue, 02 Jun 2009 14:10:31 +0000 http://www.worthlessgenius.com/?p=1146#comment-16759 Can I get an amen? amen! I went through the same process several years ago, with the same result - it felt Good. There is a difference between doing what is available to do, and doing what is ethical to do, isn't there? Now, that being said, when I buy a song from a record company, it is mine and I expect to be able to play it on each and every one of my personally owned devices. Just as I can read the book I purchased in the livingroom, in the bedroom, or in the hotel room on vacation 1000 miles away from my home. The difference here is in being assumed a criminal by the vendor of the goods I wish to purchase. Bit torrent is not illegal. Don't equate it with lock-picking tools! Can I get an amen? amen! I went through the same process several years ago, with the same result – it felt Good. There is a difference between doing what is available to do, and doing what is ethical to do, isn’t there? Now, that being said, when I buy a song from a record company, it is mine and I expect to be able to play it on each and every one of my personally owned devices. Just as I can read the book I purchased in the livingroom, in the bedroom, or in the hotel room on vacation 1000 miles away from my home. The difference here is in being assumed a criminal by the vendor of the goods I wish to purchase. Bit torrent is not illegal. Don’t equate it with lock-picking tools!

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