[dundee] Understanding FLOSS

Tue May 12 20:16:10 UTC 2009

to do the courtesy of answering "How far away is "far far away"? :-)"

Orkney.

i tried suggesting an Orkney Linux User Group, but didnt take off yet.

i was on the shetland lug mailing list too, but it kinda died off.  so that
didn't bode well for the orkney lug idea.

so, i stuck with the dundee lug, not only because of my previous familiarity
with dundee and my possible return... but also because, frankly, the quality
of content from you folks on the mailing list.  often more intriguing info
than i get from my rss feeds, better than the other mailing lists, and at a
comfortable number of emails appearing in my inbox so as not to dislodge my
other emails.  all round sweet deal.

oh.. and because no one shouted at me to get off the mailing list since i
wasnt local.  ...yet.  :D

so, yeah, if you were thinking galactically "far far away" as in star wars,
sorry to disappoint.  :)  i just kinda meant, "further than walking
distance."

so anyways.. my "talks" will be in email form for the time being. heh. ;D

2009/5/12 christopher wyllie <cgwyllie at googlemail.com>

> 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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>
>
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 prints available to buy.  digital images available for price at your
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