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time to strike up the "information wants to be free" band. As it turns out this desire for isn't particularly unique to information, and the above phrase is

time to strike up the "information wants to be free" band. As it turns out this desire for isn't particularly unique to information, and the above phrase is actually nothing more than a bad pun which turns on two different senses of the word 'free' as used in English. no. it's people that want information to be free. but such people also don't want to be seen as demanding or needy or poor or advocates for thieves, so they rhetorically project that desire onto an abstract object that is incapable of wanting anything at all.

Helmut10001 2y ago
Yes, people want to have a say in what is done with their data, whether it is public or not. The urge increases the less overlap is between people's goals and the use of their data. If you use public data against the will of the majority, pressure increases. I think this can be framed under the following: While it is possible to do many things with data, some things just shouldn't be done. There's a middle ground in the continuum where things are ambiguous. Neural nets can do many things, which is why many feel that they should not be allowed to be trained on any public data. I think I disagree. We should focus on the use cases, not the training step.
jazzyjackson 2y ago
I never took that phrase as humans making a desire statement, but as a physical inevitability of representing information as electrons. In the way that voltage 'wants' to jump a gap, information 'wants' to be free. EDIT, just because I don't get to share it very often, here's tom waits with some more examples of desire. The cradle wants a baby- Kitchen wants a pan - A heart wants a certain kind of lover if it can The ocean wants a sailor - The gun wants a hand - The money wants a spender and 'road wants a man The Devil wants a sinner - The sky wants a bird - The table wants the dinner and the Lips want a word The glass wants the wine - A fist wants to hurt - A clock wants the time and the shovel wants to work Coal wants a miner - Soldier takes a stand - The walls of the prison want a solitary man The window wants a curtain - The plow wants the land - Diamond ring wants to fit upon the finger of her hand

Helmut10001 2y ago

Yes, people want to have a say in what is done with their data, whether it is public or not. The urge increases the less overlap is between people's goals and the use of their data. If you use public data against the will of the majority, pressure increases. I think this can be framed under the following: While it is possible to do many things with data, some things just shouldn't be done. There's a middle ground in the continuum where things are ambiguous. Neural nets can do many things, which is why many feel that they should not be allowed to be trained on any public data. I think I disagree. We should focus on the use cases, not the training step.

jazzyjackson 2y ago

I never took that phrase as humans making a desire statement, but as a physical inevitability of representing information as electrons. In the way that voltage 'wants' to jump a gap, information 'wants' to be free. EDIT, just because I don't get to share it very often, here's tom waits with some more examples of desire. The cradle wants a baby- Kitchen wants a pan - A heart wants a certain kind of lover if it can The ocean wants a sailor - The gun wants a hand - The money wants a spender and 'road wants a man The Devil wants a sinner - The sky wants a bird - The table wants the dinner and the Lips want a word The glass wants the wine - A fist wants to hurt - A clock wants the time and the shovel wants to work Coal wants a miner - Soldier takes a stand - The walls of the prison want a solitary man The window wants a curtain - The plow wants the land - Diamond ring wants to fit upon the finger of her hand