> Relative to an absolute viewpoint [...] Any yet this "absolute" viewpoint is never really absolute, but always relative to the authors current position in ti

> Relative to an absolute viewpoint [...] Any yet this "absolute" viewpoint is never really absolute, but always relative to the authors current position in time – as if by coincidence. EDIT: To clarify, when an author uses an exponential curve to make the "runaway" argument, they almost never justify why the current absolute value of the curve should have special significance over the absolute values at other points in time. For example, in forgotmypw17's original post, there's no explanation why the current status of free software is at a special threshold – or what "exponential curve" they're even talking about.