this post was submitted on 06 Mar 2024
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The problem sort of is capitalism right? These public good projects should have public funding. Imagine if the public funding for open source software projects was like that of the Apollo program in the 60s (2.5% of gdp).
I am not sure I'd be using any mass communication platform that is primarily developed and/or funded by any government.
But anyway, I really don't like to use hypotheticals as an excuse to not take action. Yes, it would be better if there was more public support for open source. But it doesn't. Should we just shrug our shoulders and do nothing on our own? Why give away our agency?
One could argue you're using one now.
No, not really. We've come a long way from ARPANET. Pretty much every large data network is privatized. The foundations working on funding FOSS might even get some of their money from Governments, but they are reasonably independent.
Anyway, my point is less about radical pro- or anti- government and more about asking "Cui bono?" if I suddenly heard about increased interest from any State Government to get more involved into specific FOSS projects.
Personally I believe that yes open source should be created by governments for the global good, that open source should be created by people studying PhDs and that community commons projects should be part of schooling with students learning how to use and contribute to them.
However the main brunt of open source should be created by people who simply want it to exist because we will always outnumber and outperform government workers and students.
Personally I would love to see a world where contributing to community projects is something everyone does as part of their life, not only because it'll create more open source but because I think it'll be a much healthier community if we stop seeing everyone else around us as competition and start seeing them as fellow workers in the project to improve life for all.