[sporadicism]

I didn't find any of the arguments for optimism compelling, even if I wanted to agree with the talk's message.

Free software is about the worst example, as it has inadvertently built the technology that has, more than any other, concentrated corporate power and debased the profession.

[nvme0n1p1]

What does your alternate timeline look like? Because I'm just imagining if Linux never took off, all internet servers would run Windows or a commercial Unix. That sure sounds like concentrated corporate power to me.

[senderista]

Nah, if it hadn't been for the SCO lawsuit, BSD would have taken Linux's place. The main difference would have been that copyleft licenses probably wouldn't have gotten much traction.

[skinfaxi]

> Free software is about the worst example, as it has inadvertently built the technology that has, more than any other, concentrated corporate power and debased the profession.

Can you elaborate on this?

[voakbasda]

Open source did that. Free software would have helped prevent it.

[abetusk]

[0]:

> If you refrain from participating in the software of the commons, the only thing that you're doing is surrendering more of our collective agency to abusive centralized powers.

[0]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLZwpH5lCD4&t=1622s

[sporadicism]

Yes, that is the argument from the video I was referencing.

[spit2wind]

Free software hasn't concentrated corporate power, explicit policy to enable monopolies did. Without free software, there would still have been consolidation because that was the express objective.