[dundee] Understanding FLOSS

Tue May 12 15:44:04 UTC 2009

"This is practically a talk - are you volunteering?"

if i was still in dundee, or moved back down there again, that'd likely be
an affirmative (a "yeah sure"), but as it is... i just piggieback on your
mailing list from far far away.  hehe.  guessing my physical presence would
be required.   maybe someday, once adequately provisioned....

2009/5/11 Robert Ladyman <it at file-away.co.uk>

> This is practically a talk - are you volunteering? (and that's a please).
>
> On Sunday 10 May 2009 11:41:13 Digit (SG) wrote:
> > hi dundo luggers. :)
> >
> > to respond to donna's inquiry  regarding artists and floss...
> >
> > well, speaking as an artist,
> >
> > i "get" FLOSS ideology/methodology.
> >
> > but i also see the differences between art and software, and why there
> may
> > be reluctance to release works of art under copyleftishness.  software
> can
> > be so much more sterile and pragmatic, where works of art often have an
> > even greater sentimental preciousness.  artists can often be quite
> > emotionally involved with their creations, where often, software is there
> > for the practical benefits it confers.  thats not to say software is
> > excluded from being artistic though.
> >
> > music seems to be leading the way a little further ahead than the visual
> > arts, and i've no idea really where the rest (writing for example) fall
> > into the picture.
> > services like http://www.jamendo.com/en/ (which i intend to get around
> to
> > uploading loads of my stuff to) show how the principles so familiar to
> > software creations can be applied to music creations.
> >
> > i think alot of artists are still stuck on bill gate's open letter to
> > hobbyists from the 70s (
> > http://www.blinkenlights.com/classiccmp/gateswhine.html ), and i know
> why,
> > the need to eat food etc, and food being most readily available only with
> > money, is quite the reinforcement of this.
> >
> > creative commons may think they are helping, but its a complex mine field
> > that can be a bit off-putting to those who have a sole focus in life to
> > create (not to navigate legalities).
> >
> > it's something i'm striving towards solving, by cutting out the necessary
> > obliged financial outgoings, so that art can once again become detatched
> > from profit motive, and all the great works of art, both complete and
> > unfinished, horded by artists all over for sake of their future potential
> > financial riches, can become liberated and enter the public view, as well
> > as the re-churning of ideas as best represented/protected by the likes of
> > the GPL and FLOSSology.
> >
> > now i realise you may have only been meaning the topic here to be the
> > software side of it, but i see no foul in highlighting that the product
> of
> > artist's creative endeavors could one day be as well shared and
> > distributed, bazaar style, as software.
> >
> > "which one is it?"
> >
> > both.  you already had your answer.  some get it, some dont yet.  some
> have
> > all their stuff released freely in recognition that copyright is not only
> a
> > farce, but illegal.  some have never heard of richard stallman, and dont
> > yet realise that everytime they view a copyrighted content on a computer
> > they are "breaking copyright".
> >
> > as powerful an allure photoshop has with all it's bells n whistles, i
> still
> > understand that the race is won by open source's exponentials, leaving
> the
> > limitations of proprietary in the dust, and so i stick with the gimp.
> > (excellent link from gordon the other day btw.)
> > better to be onboard earlier methinks, rather than waste time keeping
> > one'self hog tied to being dumbed down by proprietary treating the end
> > users like helpless noobs who need to keep suckling gratefully on the
> > proprietor's machinations (however alluring they may be).
> >
> > i actually tried going back to photoshop for a little taster recently
> after
> > hearing my cousin rave on about it's wonders, and to my surprise, i felt
> > more at a loss for the features it didnt have than marveled at what it
> did.
> > * cant help but think of sugar coated turds *  so i stick with the gimp.
> > no point either forking out hundreds, or breaking the law, just for a
> > couple of features, which are only likely to show up in gimp in a better
> > developed form in good time.  also, besides having a plateful to deal
> with
> > already, theres nothing holding me back from learning what i need to to
> add
> > these features myself, gaining total control over my tool, tailoring it
> to
> > my exacting needs.   oh yes, i "get" FLOSS.  full intent to be a greater
> > contributor.  full appreciation for the contributions of others to our
> > collective tools.
> >
> > anyway, that's about enough rambling on for now.  :)
> >
> > -Digit.
> >
> > ps, i still have an idea on the backburner for a lightweight artist's
> > distribution based on Slitaz, which i might have actually got around to
> > completing had my lenovo x60 not needed to go to the shop to be fixed
> > again.
> >
> > pps, ya just have no idea how amazing blender is until you get through
> some
> > tutorials.   wow.   seriously, wow.  (that coming from someone trained in
> > softimage|xsi)
> >
> > 2009/5/8 Donna Holford-Lovell <d.holford-lovell at abertay.ac.uk>
> >
> > >  HI
> > >
> > > I have been thinking .... Which sometimes hurts.... You may know that I
> > > have been looking at the ideology/methodology of FLOSS and applying
> this
> > > to an art practice. I have had some excellent responses but I am still
> > > getting the impression that the art world are just not getting it.
> > >
> > > Obviously there are differing cultures and philosophies within the term
> > > FLOSS but both could offer a very new and productive way of working
> > > within the art sector. Some in the art sector say that it already
> exists
> > > in the practice and from the other camp that artists just don’t
> > > understand. ???? My question is ‘which one is it’?
> > >
> > > I was wondering if anyone was up for helping to organise a small series
> > > of talks that would cover this area and go someway to clarifying it.
> Try
> > > to come at from the philosophical side, yes the product is important
> but
> > > really try to understand its process. How can we learn and implement it
> > > to other areas.
> > >
> > > We can run it at the HMC, maybe as part of the Linux meetings? Happy to
> > > look at providing funding etc ..... Be good to hear your thoughts
> > >
> > > Best Donna
> > >
> > >
> > > ---------------------------------------------
> > > *Donna Holford-Lovell
> > > Cultural Projects Officer
> > > *
> > > University of Abertay Dundee
> > > Bell Street, Dundee, DD1 1HG
> > > Tel: 0044 (1)382 308 777
> > > www.abertay.ac.uk/exhibitions
> > >
> > > The University of Abertay Dundee is a
> > > charity registered in Scotland, No: SC016040
> > >
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > dundee GNU/Linux Users Group mailing list
> > > dundee at lists.lug.org.uk  http://dundee.lug.org.uk
> > > https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/dundee
> > > Chat on IRC, #tlug on dundee.lug.org.uk
>
> --
>
> Robert Ladyman
> File-Away Limited, 32 Church Street, Newtyle
> Perthshire, PH12 8TZ SCOTLAND
> Registered in Scotland, Company Number SC222086
> Tel: +44 (0) 1828 898 158
> Mobile: +44 (0) 7732 771 649
> http://www.file-away.co.uk
>
>
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>

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