http://helpmerick.com/ubuntulinux-whats-the-big-deal.htm Easy to understand computer help Wed, 23 May 2012 11:31:10 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 http://helpmerick.com/ubuntulinux-whats-the-big-deal.htm/comment-page-1#comment-5205 Jo Wed, 08 Jul 2009 15:26:36 +0000 http://helpmerick.com/wordpr/?p=1980#comment-5205 Ummm, it's spelled "socialism" Ummm, it’s spelled “socialism”

]]> http://helpmerick.com/ubuntulinux-whats-the-big-deal.htm/comment-page-#comment-3167 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://helpmerick.com/wordpr/?p=1980#comment-3167 Additionally, there is the political issue of the free flow of information during this so-called "Information Age". Manipulating the information storage-and-retrieval system is uncomfortably close to manipulating the monetary system. A free marketplace need to be a level playing field where all individuals have an equal opportunity to accomplish work, and produce products, that have value to their fellow humans, as manifested by the fact so many people want to buy them. A free-market economy doesn't work well when a few mega-rich elitists can privately own and control society's entire information and barter structure, in and of itself, for private profit, to the detriment of everyone else. In the long run, that is the logical reason behind the fact that copyright, trademark, and patents only last for a specific number of years. In the long run, nobody can "own" information, per se. E.g. nobody can "own" the fact that 1 + 1 = 2 any more than they can "own" the Pythagorean Theorem, or the binary math that makes computers run. Long live Ubuntu, et al! It would be ironic indeed if some whiz kid used Ubuntu Linux to find the cure for cancer while Uncle Scrooge, er Bill Gates, was busy counting his billions. (Yes, Gates fans, I know Bill gives quite a bit of his money away, so please don't use that fact as an excuse to ignore the main information-related issue. Just because Gates gives money away doesn't mean Vista is wonderful. Just read the letter to which Adam linked.) Additionally, there is the political issue of the free flow of information during this so-called “Information Age”. Manipulating the information storage-and-retrieval system is uncomfortably close to manipulating the monetary system. A free marketplace need to be a level playing field where all individuals have an equal opportunity to accomplish work, and produce products, that have value to their fellow humans, as manifested by the fact so many people want to buy them. A free-market economy doesn’t work well when a few mega-rich elitists can privately own and control society’s entire information and barter structure, in and of itself, for private profit, to the detriment of everyone else.
In the long run, that is the logical reason behind the fact that copyright, trademark, and patents only last for a specific number of years. In the long run, nobody can “own” information, per se. E.g. nobody can “own” the fact that 1 + 1 = 2 any more than they can “own” the Pythagorean Theorem, or the binary math that makes computers run.
Long live Ubuntu, et al! It would be ironic indeed if some whiz kid used Ubuntu Linux to find the cure for cancer while Uncle Scrooge, er Bill Gates, was busy counting his billions.
(Yes, Gates fans, I know Bill gives quite a bit of his money away, so please don’t use that fact as an excuse to ignore the main information-related issue. Just because Gates gives money away doesn’t mean Vista is wonderful. Just read the letter to which Adam linked.)

]]> http://helpmerick.com/ubuntulinux-whats-the-big-deal.htm/comment-page-#comment-3168 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://helpmerick.com/wordpr/?p=1980#comment-3168 Mr Gates made his money with capitalisom but gives some of his money to socilisom to look good and uses the goverment to stop open source Mr Gates made his money with capitalisom but gives some of his money to socilisom to look good and uses the goverment to stop open source

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