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I remember how in the former Eastern Bloc back in the 1990s, there was a widespread dislike of Stallman-esque ideas of Free Software, probably because idealism

I remember how in the former Eastern Bloc back in the 1990s, there was a widespread dislike of Stallman-esque ideas of Free Software, probably because idealism of any sort had been totally discredited by the failure of the socialist regimes. And yet, many of the same people who insisted that Free Software was a daft idea because “creators need to be paid”, would not think twice about using popular commercial software like The Bat! email client without paying, by downloading a cracked version from a warez community.

notRobot 7y ago
So many people don't realise that Free (Libre) software can be sold, and that there exist several ways to monetize Libre software to successfully support creators and Devs.
- DagAgren 7y ago
  Several ways, none of which are any good for a lot of software. You can sell free software, but it is very much the exception rather than the rule, and it is pretty disingenuous of those who promote it to keep making this claim.
anthk 7y ago
That's odd, because in the Eastern bloc a lot of people copied and shared ZX homebrew like it was no tomorrow. Bear in mind some anarcho-socialist people didn't like the Stalinist regimes. Heck, the Jugoslavs (Tito die-hard socialists) didn't like the personal policies on how to behave by the Soviets/DDR.
- Mediterraneo10 7y ago
  ZX homebrew didn't claim to be creating a better world and a whole new economy. As I said, it was the mere idealism of Free Software that turned a lot of people off.
  - anthk 7y ago
    Exploiting old hardware for fun/saving money it's a bit idealistic, albeit a personal/reduced group based one.
markvdb 7y ago
As a free software proponent, I don't see the inconsistency in this case. What would you do as a software oriented person if you had nothing to eat? Why would you care about artificial software scarcity imposed by a government that can't even guarantee working people food on the table? You might be underestimating how traumatic and desperate an experience the nineties were for so many people in eastern Europe. People are obviously not very forthcoming with the hardest of their stories, but here's one anecdote. A very close friend - an engineer during the Soviet era- hadn't been paid his wage for months on end. He survived for an entire week in ~1994 on a "creatively sourced" giant box of bananas. For a week. On bananas! What does something like that do to people? How would you react in a similar situation?

notRobot 7y ago

So many people don't realise that Free (Libre) software can be sold, and that there exist several ways to monetize Libre software to successfully support creators and Devs.

DagAgren 7y ago
Several ways, none of which are any good for a lot of software. You can sell free software, but it is very much the exception rather than the rule, and it is pretty disingenuous of those who promote it to keep making this claim.

anthk 7y ago

That's odd, because in the Eastern bloc a lot of people copied and shared ZX homebrew like it was no tomorrow. Bear in mind some anarcho-socialist people didn't like the Stalinist regimes. Heck, the Jugoslavs (Tito die-hard socialists) didn't like the personal policies on how to behave by the Soviets/DDR.

Mediterraneo10 7y ago
ZX homebrew didn't claim to be creating a better world and a whole new economy. As I said, it was the mere idealism of Free Software that turned a lot of people off.
- anthk 7y ago
  Exploiting old hardware for fun/saving money it's a bit idealistic, albeit a personal/reduced group based one.

markvdb 7y ago

As a free software proponent, I don't see the inconsistency in this case. What would you do as a software oriented person if you had nothing to eat? Why would you care about artificial software scarcity imposed by a government that can't even guarantee working people food on the table? You might be underestimating how traumatic and desperate an experience the nineties were for so many people in eastern Europe. People are obviously not very forthcoming with the hardest of their stories, but here's one anecdote. A very close friend - an engineer during the Soviet era- hadn't been paid his wage for months on end. He survived for an entire week in ~1994 on a "creatively sourced" giant box of bananas. For a week. On bananas! What does something like that do to people? How would you react in a similar situation?