[dundee] Understanding FLOSS

Tue May 12 17:38:42 UTC 2009

How far away is "far far away"? :-)

On 12/05/2009, Digit (SG) <digit.siljrath at googlemail.com> wrote:
>
> "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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