Free Software - To continue the debate

["Aditya Okhal" <adityaokhal@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Free Software - A Slice of things to come -

I have been reading very interesting ideas on free software
in context of market economy. I feel that the arguement on the
validity and sustainability of the free software model in context
of market economy is valid only when we regard that the market
economy is the ultimate and highest form of evolution of human
society.

The concept of Intellectual property rights has a major problem.
It seeks to divide the world in basically two groups - One being
Inventive, Innovative and Technologically forever evolving. I refer to
this group as the world driver. It drives the technological and evolutionary
momentum of the World. It creates concepts and to be forever at the
forefront re-creates new concepts. Here the fundamental principle is
domination through technological superiority.

The Other group being of technologically poor societys. Here there
is very little Innovation and Invention due to limitation of resources.
Ironically,
limitation of resources is due to poor technological leadership. In such
pockets of world, the flow of new Ideas is next to none. Also, technological
assimilation
and adaption is poor. Hence, its like a vicious circle.

Now, in current scenario, the technologically superior group through
never ending Innovation limits the Innovative space of the technologically
inferior
follower group. These days most Innovations are at the high end. Work at
such
a level requires a certain set of resources which the technologically
inferior
group can't provide. This is creating a deep disparity in the World.

The disparity is further deepened by the instruements of market economy
like Patents or Intellectual property(IP).  IP has created a new form of
imperalism, which can be referred to as Technological imperialism. Big
corporations are creating new products and selling them at higher and
higher prices. Take the example of AIDS drugs cocktail in case of
Africa. Such a state of affairs is creating a deeply divided and poor
world.

Technology is proving to be new master. Its deputies are its facilitators.
They
are facilitating it for world technological domination. Big corporations are
becoming more powerful than world governments. Such a state of affairs is
not sustainable. I feel technology will lead to creation of an alternate
economic
system. A system better than the present profit driven market economy
system, which is based
on Darwinian concept of survival of the fittest. It will be more open
system. I think Open and free
software movement is the precursor to the type of things to come. In new
knowledge
society man will be able to transcend the grossness of material sphere of
existence.

To end it, I just want to say that market economy like every other economic
system before
it is a stage of evolution and social transition. A new and better system is
in wings where
knowledge will be more easily available and technology more humanised.


With Regards,

Aditya Okhal