easymode

It is time for a revolution. Stallman won't, his critical mind long gone. FSF, compromised. You, reading this, won't change anything either; as there's a very high probability you're a slacker or a sociopathic leecher.

Almost all open-source software is being funded directly by IBM, and contributed to by useful slaves captured by propaganda. Many open-source initiatives are effectively corporate captures dressed in the language of transparency. The open-source model often serves as a veiled instrument for consolidating corporate power.

That's the tip of the iceberg. Not even mentioning the fact you don't own the hardware, nor the multiple levels of three letter agency backdoors.

How are we to secure the future of computing, to ensure the masses keep access to freedom?
Strategise below. Don't bother if you can barely comprehend the severity of this reality.

My plan is to start again, clean slate. Restart the FSF, with apolitical roots to be governed by machines instead of people. We have the technology.

A big concern of mine is that open-source software is leveraged by corporations who do nothing to contribute to it despite profiting off of it.

Could you elaborate on what you mean by "to be governed by machines instead of people?"

This is a shitpost right? You are fucking with us...

Found the tankie

I think you're going to have a hard time gathering support or restarting the fsf if you come off immediately insulting folks out the gate implying we're "slackers" or a "sociopathic leechers".

I'll agree it isn't a perfect system but in the real world there often isn't a perfect solution. Unfortunately a majority of software is based in capitalist societies and well, a lot of projects that gain traction will become "corrupt" by partaking in those systems or receiving funding from the big organizations.

I don't believe computing is going anywhere but it is going to change. For better or for worst? I don't know, I certainly don't like where some things are heading.

If you want to support free and open hardware/software you need to vote with your wallet, support projects with donations of your time, energy, and money, so maybe, they won't become reliant on big corporations, and probably the most important, be open and kind to folks around you and encourage those that know less to learn more and take control of the devices and services they use. Easier said than done if my experience is anything to go by.

chiefterror wrote: Mar 28th, '26, 14:07 Found the tankie

I mean, without getting lost in the weeds, I'm something of a tankie and I also think that this post is silly.

Like, ok: there's certainly something to be said about corporate involvement in open source software, but as others have said here, I think the OP coming right out of the gate with calling people 'leechers'is needlessly antagonistic and "restarting the fsf with 'apolitical roots'" is asinine. There is no such thing as an apolitical organization...and, "governed by machines?" What?

Ewout wrote: Mar 28th, '26, 11:54 Strategise below. Don't bother if you can barely comprehend the severity of this reality.

Until at home lithography becomes common we're all pretty fucked

Lol. Lmao, even.

Let your choices enlighten others on what they can use their computers for, and how corporations really don't want them to use their computers outside of how they want them to be used.

Be a resource to people. Show them how to host a webserver or offer to host for them if you have the bandwidth. Help people out with computer problems and answer their questions. Do what you can to show that anyone can learn about computers. That's how you keep it free. The minute that you believe any corporation, government, or agency has the right to tell you how to use any given computer, they've won.

Being an unprovoked ass is the #1 way to get people to not care about anything you're talking about.

Hell of a first post to get people talking...
Let's discuss this in terms of literature. I follow that community and there's a growing consensus among the more regressive sorts in the writing community that fan fiction is "RUINING" literature. They argue that many writers cut their teeth in the fan fiction world... and they almost always write in first person, and the main character is usually the author inserting themselves into the material... So ,it's really just them writing a fantasy in first person where they are the main character... and some of this is even written in present tense... and god forbid, some of it is even in 2nd person! The horror... So, we have books selling thousands of copies and they are written thusly:

"You open the door and are hit with the cool breeze. The bedside window is open and the sheer, billowing curtains direct your eyes to the bed. There Randolph waits, splayed on the lush purple bed, beckoning you to join him."

I just made that up, but there's plenty of stuff like that... is it bad? I mean, I don't like it... so a LOT of this stuff exists and the regressive types keep crying from the hilltops that this is the END of literature.

This is a perspective and focus problem. If you focus on the things you hate, then you will see them everywhere. The trouble is that if you take such a position you have to ignore the heaps of good literature being released every day. There are awesome books in several different styles. Some of the fan fiction stuff has led to the romance fantasy genre getting larger (maybe too large), but there are plenty of other fantasy books to read.

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What does this have to do with the open source movement and this post? Yes, there are bad actors, evil corporations, and such... However, to suggest that open source has been completely co-opted is a bit much. You have to ignore thousands and thousands of good projects. Here comes the hard part... you have to let many things go.

Back to literature, those who are lamenting the end of literature are hyper-focused on things they hate. They do not want them to exist- their existence seems to harm their soul... and I believe that latter statement may be true. You can focus on things until it hurts... However, this is futile. We have to exist in a world with music we hate, laws we hate, books that suck, games that are terrible asset-flips, corporations that destroy the planet and steal from us all... If we focus on these things we will be perpetually outraged... and that can lead to the hopeless feelings... like you say here:

Ewout wrote: Mar 28th, '26, 11:54 You, reading this, won't change anything either; as there's a very high probability you're a slacker or a sociopathic leecher.

I know that feeling. I've been there. You are watching things you love be co-opted and you are just one person in a sea of others... You see no way out, and there may not be a way out. We can, and should fight like hell for some things... but many times it is better to shift focus. Let's make a little list of things that suck and things we can focus on:

• Android → GrapheneOS, LineageOS, etc.
• Red Hat → Alma, Rocky, Arch, Fedora, Debian
• Ubuntu → Debian, Mint
• Kubernetes → Nomad, swarm
• Systemd → OpenRC, runit (anyone know more, I need an alternative, lol)
• GNOME → KDE, Xfce, etc.

Part of the deal with open source is that corporations can use and abuse it... but users can also use it. The Android thing really sucks for me because I don't want to use a google phone with GrapheneOS because I am not wild about their size and features... hopefully the future Motorola phones will be OK (with GrapheneOS). Otherwise, I will have to rely on community hacks (oh, I think there will be plenty of hacks to allow us to install things outside of the play store)... but if I focus on Android all day then I may miss several good projects because all my internal brain cores are processing outrage.

Anyway, you are on the right track because you are motivated to do something. I've found that the only times I am truly happy are when I surround myself with people who also do things. People who do things are focused on creation... and many of them are fueled by inspiration... we need positive input... so they focus on music they like, games they love, books they want to read, etc. All of the shit still exists, but the focus has to be on things you like or else you will drown in despair (I'm about to write an emo song if I'm not careful).

There's science behind this. Humans were not built to deal with 200,000 atrocities daily. We only have the psychological ability to care about 150 people. Beyond that everything is abstraction and statistics. We do not have the processing power to handle all the terrible shit in the world... it's literally beyond us... I think this idea can extend beyond relationships and into events, projects, etc.

Citation: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunbar%27s_number

This is why another idea you had that I think may have merit. Electronic governance. I think that could be interesting... though I don't trust AI in this regard. It's too filled with slop at this point and the hallucinations could cause issues. So, I'm not sure how this would work... there are certainly better systems than unfettered capitalism and the profit motive. To go tankie for a bit (I'm more of an anarchist, but still), in China many companies have both a board AND a communist party committee. The board focuses on typical corporate profit stuff, but the committee steps in to make sure their profit motives do not contradict with the party's roadmap. The focus isn't exactly ensuring better lives for citizens (as I understand it), but it's more about basic Chinese goals like stability, de-commodification of key industries, national security, long-term infrastructure and economic planning, etc. and they keep companies from becoming too powerful. You do have companies who do not have this communist committee, but they are still under government control... and their leaders can be replaced if they step out of line.

There are problems here, but I find this system to be better for the populace than our system of oligarchy/plutocracy, kleptocracy, and basically billionaire control. The Chinese system is similar to Keynesian principles that we used to practice here (when things were WAY better): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keynesian_economics

However, all of these things still have the human element... which means corruption, nanny-state/big brother nonsense, etc. I don't think there is a governmental structure that is compatible with our global, technological world. There are FAR better methods than what we have here in the USA, but I could go on about that forever... just landing back in the USA yesterday was shocking... and difficult... I was in Taiwan for two weeks... saw 2 homeless people the whole time... everything was extremely affordable... there are zillions of third places... people are out socializing and shopping in person... healthcare is sophisticated and free/inexpensive, transit is amazing, it's light-years ahead of the USA in terms of quality of life for most... but anyway... that's a big digression.

I have no idea how one would implement a digital governance structure that was free from bias... and you'd still have fragile fascist-types trying to control or influence it. This is a conversation I'd love to have over beers... but for now... POWER ON DAEDALUS