6 ms·

Electricity is a service, and you're free to use electricity however you want. Nobody can (physically) stop you from using electricity in a way that is not "app

Electricity is a service, and you're free to use electricity however you want. Nobody can (physically) stop you from using electricity in a way that is not "approved" by the provider of your electricity. Granted, there are other issues with the generation of electricity, such as the issues with nuclear power, and the environmental effects of coal etc. However, electricity itself is Free (as in speech). Also, you can't interact with electricity on a higher level. You can't really change its behavior, and the way it works is "open source" (physics). Software and, to a lesser degree, hardware, are things which we can deeply interact with, and are a fundamental part of today's society. This is why they need to be completely Free.

ricardobeat 15y ago
Just like electricity is completely free. Right? I think I get it.
- jiggy2011 15y ago
  It means free as in speech not beer.
  - ricardobeat 15y ago
    Mind fart. The analogy is so bad I don't even know where to begin. It's comparing an intellectually intensive, almost craft-like, infinitely complex piece of work to a physical resource that can be routed around. [snip paragraph about capitalism/FOSS] I also think open hardware and standards are much more important than software. They mean you can build anything you'd like yourself, while allowing developers to live off their work. Also: Nobody can (physically) stop you from using electricity in a way that is not "approved" by the provider of your electricity. Of course they can. You can't rig a 330v outlet in your house without permission from your provider. Can't build a tesla coil in your garage either. Draw too much power and they will cut you off unless you switch to a commercial contract, if you're allowed. If I were into bad analogies I'd say here that it's like having a data cap. There is an intricate fabric of things related to economy, work, engineering, politics and society in general, the combination of those what makes electricity available in our homes. Same goes for software - you can't take how society works out of the equation.
    - ktizo 15y ago
      A 330v outlet just requires a transformer and says nothing about the power drawn. As for making tesla coils in the garage, I suspect you might be surprised if you bothered to search this at all. Also, there are such things as generators and if you want to, you can build them from scrap.
      - ricardobeat 15y ago
        If you ignore service contracts, fire and safety regulations, and every other aspect of reality, that is. I think I'm seeing a pattern here.
        ktizo 15y ago
        No, not at all. There is no regulation to say you can't build yourself a tesla coil in your garage, and there is no law saying what voltages you are allowed to make from your supply.
    - burgerbrain 15y ago
      >"Can't build a tesla coil in your garage either." What the hell? You are joking, right?
      - ktizo 15y ago
        It doesn't appear so, although it could be an extremely advanced form of satire.
      - ricardobeat 15y ago
        You can, if you want to, but it could run you into a lot of trouble. That's not the point.
        burgerbrain 15y ago
        No, it would not... Give me a break. I pray that Poe's Law is in out in full force here.

ricardobeat 15y ago

Just like electricity is completely free. Right? I think I get it.

jiggy2011 15y ago
It means free as in speech not beer.
- ricardobeat 15y ago
  Mind fart. The analogy is so bad I don't even know where to begin. It's comparing an intellectually intensive, almost craft-like, infinitely complex piece of work to a physical resource that can be routed around. [snip paragraph about capitalism/FOSS] I also think open hardware and standards are much more important than software. They mean you can build anything you'd like yourself, while allowing developers to live off their work. Also: Nobody can (physically) stop you from using electricity in a way that is not "approved" by the provider of your electricity. Of course they can. You can't rig a 330v outlet in your house without permission from your provider. Can't build a tesla coil in your garage either. Draw too much power and they will cut you off unless you switch to a commercial contract, if you're allowed. If I were into bad analogies I'd say here that it's like having a data cap. There is an intricate fabric of things related to economy, work, engineering, politics and society in general, the combination of those what makes electricity available in our homes. Same goes for software - you can't take how society works out of the equation.
  - ktizo 15y ago
    A 330v outlet just requires a transformer and says nothing about the power drawn. As for making tesla coils in the garage, I suspect you might be surprised if you bothered to search this at all. Also, there are such things as generators and if you want to, you can build them from scrap.
    - ricardobeat 15y ago
      If you ignore service contracts, fire and safety regulations, and every other aspect of reality, that is. I think I'm seeing a pattern here.
      - ktizo 15y ago
        No, not at all. There is no regulation to say you can't build yourself a tesla coil in your garage, and there is no law saying what voltages you are allowed to make from your supply.
  - burgerbrain 15y ago
    >"Can't build a tesla coil in your garage either." What the hell? You are joking, right?
    - ktizo 15y ago
      It doesn't appear so, although it could be an extremely advanced form of satire.
    - ricardobeat 15y ago
      You can, if you want to, but it could run you into a lot of trouble. That's not the point.
      - burgerbrain 15y ago
        No, it would not... Give me a break. I pray that Poe's Law is in out in full force here.