🫧 socialcoding..1d ago

#ThoughtProvoker  

Uncomfortable questions..

- To what extent is #FOSS complicit to the rise of #BigTech?

- To what extent is FOSS complicit to disruptive #AI craze we face today?

- To what extent are vibe coding #LLM even possible without FOSS?

"BUT.. BUT.. The License!"

- To what extent does slapping on a license free us from responsibility, knowing that it hardly offers protection from abuse?

- To what extent did FOSS too just introduce the tech and damn the externalities?

- To what extent is FOSS complicit to the current state of the world?

- To what extent is it enough to consider FOSS to be "imbibed by good morals and values" if we can't defend those?

#poll #ethics

We are clear. Because our intentions are good.
We are clear. We just code. Bad actors abuse it
We must find better ways to protect our work.
Other (please comment)
Poll ends at .
Show threadHouba1d ago

@smallcircles

The license doesn't offer anything IMHO, the people who want to use tools will do regardless, taking it to a base example: Do we lock the tools away or teach people to use them with respect?

beside ethics training some type of enforcement may be required for bad actors, then some level of power is needed to do that, one of the things I see in tech is the lack of collective power, but this is a larger societal problem than just FOSS communities.

1/2

Show threadHouba1d ago

@smallcircles

I have had endless 'discussions' in non-tech related orgs using big tech for office related tasks, and I have consistently lost the arguments, mostly due to some type is 'convenience' position, even after implementing FOSS solution which have been successful in the orgs.

My personal opinion on licensing is release everything under non-commercial, no profit can be extracted from the use of the tool. cut capitalists out entirely. I don't know if this makes a diff though.

2/2

Show thread🫧 socialcoding..

@houba yes, totally. The license is but a small tool in the toolbox. Some actors are repelled by #copyleft, but still we have this open kitchen then, where they learn all the recipes and let #FOSS folks explore the market for them on the cheap.

In a separate branch I mentioned the concept of "commons based" as a way forward, where the #SocialWeb and #PersonalSocialNetworking form the collaboration environments for cocreation..

https://social.coop/@smallcircles/116318450093978488

The chaotic commons is big. How do we foster chaordic organization, so that FOSS projects and initiatives are encouraged to pay attention beyond their direct scope, to dedicate collectively to the health of the ecosystem and key enabling technologies such as #ActivityPub that they rely upon?

Here #HedonicPeerProduction comes in, which can be supported on the #SocialNetwork itself. Different than top-down enforced #community #governance, which only works at small scales, self-interest is basis for participation.

https://coding.social/blog/reimagine-social/

6:38amWeb
Show threadHouba14h ago

@smallcircles

The Chaordic stuff looks sound, but could just as easily be a method of cartel building as is the case for VISA.

However the Hedonic stuff is highly questionable, and "self-interest is basis for participation." Along with being incompatible with the Chaordic development proposed, it would open the door wide for capitalist tendencies to run wild in any organisation.

Have a look at Albert Hirshman's The Passions and the Interests, to see the perniciousness of this idea.

Show threadHouba13h ago

@smallcircles

On the same note, it is interesting stuff, thanks for the response.

Don't take the criticism as hostility, everyone here is working in their own way to what could be a better place, and I'm not so hubristic to believe I could not be wrong.

With care and peace.

Show thread🫧 socialcoding..13h ago

@houba not at all. Appreciate your feedback.

Social experience design is a holistic approach that involves a mindset shift. SX 1st of all starts by recognizing *ones own* self-interested motives to participate in a commons. Everyone is here for a reason. Realize what people are after, which Dreams they pursue, and how they are dependent on others for realizing them. Focus is on making Progress, however small, which is enough as dreams will change over time (and Visions, such as a Peopleverse, should only be pursued by groups).

Knowing what makes one tick allows expressing of Needs to others, so they can anticipate them and collaborate with you on basis of their own dreams and interests. Thus cocreation takes places on the basis of mutual understanding of obligations and expectations, and not merely on an assumption thereof.

Things are turned around to make them right again, which can feel weird, like:

"Ask not what you can do for the commons, but what the commons can do for you."

Show threadHouba11h ago

@smallcircles

I not a fan of the "Ask not what you can do for the commons, but what the commons can do for you." I see more of a balance than in thinking like this, we should be doing both.

There is also fundamental differences between community motivations and individual ones.

I agree that the understanding and trust building is key, that is a long and involved process - including strategising and building shared understanding - and recognising that this never ends is also important.

Show threadHouba11h ago

@smallcircles

There was an interesting talk by the economist Mark Blyth on Politics of grievance, I don't agree with everything he says, but this conversation reminded me of it.

https://inv.nadeko.net/watch?v=fLWhiugHkbQ

Show thread🫧 socialcoding..8h ago

@houba

> we should be doing both

For sure! The slogan is intentionally phrased to be thought provoking. It requires the gradual mindset shift that comes through proactive commons participation. Generally people have wrong and unrealistic expectations about our grassroots communities and FOSS projects, which greatly hamper our ability to cocreate, and helps keep our work inherently unsustainable (unless one has the privilege to dabble in FOSS as a hobby).

SX and Social coding commons focus on an overarching organizational model, one fit for the grassroots commons because of how it takes existing social dynamics into account that exist between people in chaotic collaboration environments.

Thanks for the vid link! I will queue it up for a watch, looks interesting.

Show thread🫧 socialcoding..8h ago

@houba

Btw, I made a start with the vid and looking at the description I can say that this major challenge is deeply considered in the approach that SX follows, fundamentally so.

SX as a methodology is only 'the business end' of a deeper foundation on a simple life philosophy that aims for people to *experience* the full power of Humanity and Freedom. Intrinsic values. This goes entirely on their own volition, driven by their own self-interests, how they can be combined with others, and how that leads to most benefit and progress.

Importantly this philosophy need not be taught. It is experienced through participation in a commons based value economy, where the full spectrum of Humanity and Freedom are like the 'currencies' we can exchange services with. Along the way then we learn to better *perceive* value, which is now often overlooked or misjudged.