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I came here to make exactly this proposal. Free Software is supposed to create a gift economy. People create and release their work in good faith, others copy

I came here to make exactly this proposal. Free Software is supposed to create a gift economy. People create and release their work in good faith, others copy and improve, and contribute back to the community. Gift economies work if most continue to gift their work to society in good faith. If some actors decide to largely take and but rarely give out of self-interest, or worse use their gifts to cement their economic position, then the gift economy turns into an exploitation economy. The way to fix such an economy is to intentionally exclude those who are exploitative. Free Software failed to create a gift economy. I am all for abandoning it in favor of the Guarded Free Software economy as you propose.

fsflover 3y ago
Linux with its GPL works very well against the exploitation. A huge number of commercial companies are contributing to it all the time.
ItsABytecode 3y ago
I’ve never really understood the difference between a gift economy with the expectation of reciprocity and a regular non-gift economy
- abdullahkhalids 3y ago
  In a regular economy, every exchange is a two-way transaction. I give you something, you give me something (usually of perceived equal value). In a gift economy. I gift you something. You gift someone something. That someone could be me, but if I don't need/want anything you need, then you just gift to someone else. If there are gifts going around all the time, all in good faith, then most people will receive what they need. You see gift economies in families or friends all the time. People help others according to their abilities. My rich friend takes me out to an expensive dinner, poor me gets us lunch from that famous food truck. I nurse my uncle when he breaks his leg. He lets my brother's son to live with him for free during college. There is no accounting of how much anyone gave. Just give what you can. I recommend reading Cory Doctorow's novel Walkaway which describes gift economies beautifully.

fsflover 3y ago

Linux with its GPL works very well against the exploitation. A huge number of commercial companies are contributing to it all the time.

ItsABytecode 3y ago

I’ve never really understood the difference between a gift economy with the expectation of reciprocity and a regular non-gift economy

abdullahkhalids 3y ago
In a regular economy, every exchange is a two-way transaction. I give you something, you give me something (usually of perceived equal value). In a gift economy. I gift you something. You gift someone something. That someone could be me, but if I don't need/want anything you need, then you just gift to someone else. If there are gifts going around all the time, all in good faith, then most people will receive what they need. You see gift economies in families or friends all the time. People help others according to their abilities. My rich friend takes me out to an expensive dinner, poor me gets us lunch from that famous food truck. I nurse my uncle when he breaks his leg. He lets my brother's son to live with him for free during college. There is no accounting of how much anyone gave. Just give what you can. I recommend reading Cory Doctorow's novel Walkaway which describes gift economies beautifully.