Question for TLUGgers: How can Canada take a leading role in FOSS?

Christopher Browne cbbrowne-Re5JQEeQqe8AvxtiuMwx3w at public.gmane.org
Mon Apr 3 15:52:22 UTC 2006


On 4/3/06, Jamon Camisso <jamon.camisso-H217xnMUJC0sA/PxXw9srA at public.gmane.org> wrote:
> Christopher Browne wrote:
> > An attempt to found a Canadian FSF would founder almost certainly as
> > there isn't anyone with a comparable level of monomania that would be
> > the clear authority.  Regionalism would further fragment this, as
> > there is no satisfactory place to found the organization.  Why
> > shouldn't someone in Calgary start another foundation that represents
> > them?  Ditto for Montreal.
>
> Perhaps the foundational approach is not the way to go then. Perhaps
> treating Linux as a product like any other, marketing it as such to
> consumers/businesses would be the better approach. Anything tinged with
> ideology (whatever that is) or political rhetoric automatically tunes
> people out -- but products, not so much. As users, developers, and
> advocates, we should in the marketing business, not in the now well
> established technical support business, or political arena (more on this
> in a moment). Not that there isn't a place for either, just that at the
> moment I'd say (and am for that matter) that energy should be directed
> at getting people to take notice outside of the aforementioned areas.

ideology is a given in this case.

The only way to avoid political rhetoric is to continually declare the
basic political principles, all the time.

> >> We have, on this list, some of the smartest people anywhere. It would
> >> be a shame if we couldn't harness that group intelligence to do some
> >> good for our society.
>
> Intelligence or cleverness, which is more important to convincing
> someone to consider Linux? For that matter, just getting people to
> understand *what* Linux is would be a huge task but would probably do
> more good than any amount of politicking or mega/monomaniacal ravings or
> vision.
>
> > The trouble is that politics is HARD...
>
> And essentially meaningless empty rhetoric directed at making it appear
> that governments are engaged in something other than hiding the fact
> that they are trying to hide from the public who originally gave them
> their mandate. Politics is not the avenue *yet*. Someday it will be, but
> right now, people don't even know what Linux is. They've heard the name
> for sure -- there is a huge amount of curiosity out there -- it's just a
> matter of getting people's attention *without* resorting to politics.

You're missing the point.

Any time more than one person gets together, there's politics.

Figuring out that you can start talking when I stop talking, or vice
versa, is a policy, and hence politics.

When a group of people get together, and you have to figure out a way
to have someone speak next in an organized manner, THAT'S POLITICS.

If you try to "avoid resorting to politics," then that's a simple
evasion of the simple truth, that any time people get together,
"politics happens."  Pretending the irrelevance of that is as sure a
route to failure as exists.
--
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absolutely no good." -- Samuel Johnson, lexicographer (1709-1784)
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