When you write a piece like the one I presented at digital freedom, the best you can hope for is to spark real discussion and debate. I got some good feedback on the day, but it’s interesting that via my blog the dialog got more complete. I received the following e-mail today:
From: Uwe Thiem
Hi AJ,
I have read your speach carefully. Same for the presentation. I have been
through www.ofset.org. Still, I am puzzled.
I do agree with you analysis. Our cultures are rigid, authoritarian and
against dissent. Interesting enough, Hidipo Hamutenya, s SWAPO (sic!) MP and
former minister had a lengthy article in The Namibian today. Two small
quotes: “Another sad blemish on our young democracy is the backward tendency
of intolerance against those who are perceived to hold opinions that are
different from those of some of the powers that be.” The second
one: “Namibians must learn to allow different schools of thought to contend.
We must make conscious and honest efforts to defend and promote freedom of
expression in our society.” This was the first time I heard a popular SWAPO
leader spell it out this clearly.
And yes, I completely agree that things are far worse for kids and
youngsters.Youngsters are not supposed to have any opinions. They are not
supposed to question anything – neither at home nor in school. Those who
actually show some originality in thought and/or approach to solving problems
are penalised.
So, here we are in total agreement.
Where I dissent is when it comes to your thesis that OSS helps carving out a
niche where youngsters can learn how to form and express opinions or even
dissenting opinions. I simply don’t get it.
As long as you aren’t involved in creating OSS (as a developer, artist,
translator, documentation writer,…) – and those kids usually aren’t
involved yet – OSS doesn’t do that. How does the use of, say, konqueror helps
anyone more in this regard than IE?
Alright, you were talking about educational software. Fine. Let’s talk about
kalzium and GPeriodic. The use of them as opposed to some proprietary piece
of software, how does it help or promote freedom for kids? I don’t get it!
Honestly, I find your speech very far-fetched.
All this said, I have always been and continue to be a strong evangelist of
educational content and software installed on computer labs at schools – as I
know you are. It makes the difference between glorified typewriters and
modern ICT solutions.
If you think it worth, please don’t hesitate to put up this email on your
blog. I actually intended to comment on your blog entry but found you had
disabled comments. Thus this private email. 
Cheers and keep up the good work
Uwe
My response below:
Actually my thoughts lie on another level here 
Computers have ACCIDENTALLY become a niche for free speech – because
students as a rule are for quicker on acquiring computer literacy than
their teachers – in other words, the attempts at authoritarian control
is much less effective because the children have the power of
understanding the concepts quicker and more completely.
Now when it comes to free software, I believe this difference gets
even greater since the POTENTIAL that can be learned is so much
bigger, the disparancy is likewize bigger.
On a more philosophical level, there is simply a massive attitude
difference prevalent in the very DESIGNS of free software as opposed
to non-free. This is a direct reflection of the difference in attitude
between those who create free software and those who create non-free.
Free software is created to bring digital freedom – those who believe
in digital freedom are generally ALSO supporters of freedom in other
realms, and tend to have a distinct REFUSAL to build controls into
their software that could intrude with this – whereas proprietory
software take EXACTLY the opposite approach. If there is money in
restricting abilities then proprietory software will restrict it, free
software will not because money or no money, it’s against the
priniciples of free software (and even if you did, it’s free software,
somebody else will subsequently UNDO it).
Already we see the world moving toward an age where programs like
MS-WORD will actually restrict the CONTENT you can create with them
and to whom you may send this. Such restrictions are all easilly
achievable with DRM, a world where big companies will decide what you
may say and to whom you may say it. Free software is fighting to
retain a world where I can write any letter, story, etc. I want in my
wordprocessor, and mail it to any publisher of my choice without
anybody else having to approve it.
Finally, there is simply the fact that using free software opens up
the possibility for those who will in fact come to be contributive
members of the community – a possibility that simply does not exist
with non-free software and which you yourself in your mail grants as
being a powerful form of self-expression.
Though I will grant you that I could have made all the above clearer
in my talk (I will make a note of this for the future).
Ciao A.J
Of course I am far from certain that this is the end of the discussion, mail me your thoughts as well to aj@outkastsolutions.co.za and I will hapilly continue posting the debate as it unfolds.
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