[Lancaster] Twitter

[mp]

Mike Dent wrote:
> 
>> -----Original Message-----

>>> On Thu, 2009-02-19 at 23:19 +0000, mp wrote:
>>>> Hmmm, Twitter is non-free software.
>>>>
>>>> But there are Free Software alternatives.
>>>> http://www.techenclave.com/open-source/identi-ca-open-source-
>> twitter-alternative-114388.html
>>>> http://gigaom.com/2009/01/14/identica-gets-funding-to-make-open-
>> source-twitter-variant/
>>> Identi.ca is great - the Lconica software is something
>>> we're looking at implementing for a community.
>>>
>>> However, although I'm on both Identi.ca and Twitter,
>>> it's the latter that most others (beyond the Free
>>> Software community) are on. Any suggestions as to
>>> how to change this are most welcome :-)
>> Get off Twitter, but twit it first to all your friends/contacts,
>> stating
>> that you move to the Free Software alternative, because you believe in
>> the free Internet, which is being eroded by Twitter, Facecrack,
>> AOL/TimeWarner et al. When invited to Twitter, when spoken to about it,
>> state that it is bad for freedom, like some would say about things like
>> McDonalds.
>>
> 
> Hmm, I'm not sure about this free Internet thing. If the companies/universities/ISP's etc that the
> Internet connects through wanted to start charging for data or electricity at their sites then who
> are we to grumble?

We are the people who make up this world. Who else?

> I think so far we have had a great ride and should be thankful for that, it's certainly not our
> right to have it like that forever.

"Certainly"? Says who? Rights are fought for and won (or lost, with that
attitude!). Not given. There is no such thing as a natural law that
determines whether "it is our right" or not. This is entirely
ahistorical. Why are you in favour of Free Software - why is that "our
right", but a free network isn't? Why is freedom of speech your right?

Once upon a time it was no one's right to do anything. Think of the
rights that generations have died for which make it possible for you to
express yourself here and now and say no to further rights. That's
rather disrespectful to a long bloody history of fighting for rights.

> How ethical a company are Cisco (as an example of a maker of lots of internet routers and switches)
> if they are not ethical, do we stop using those portions of the internet which use their kit?

The current debate addresses exactly this. Network neutrality is
demanded by Internet users in the U.S (and the rest of the world). This
is a high level public policy debate - not just some radical faction's
ideas. The stakes are incredibly high.

While you can't really stop using their services, you can demand that
they keep them free.

> yes it would be nice if the internet were run on free open source software routers which were powered by
> wind/hydro/solar power but I don't think it will happen for many years to come.

Not unless you stand up for the idea. Who do you think will drop it in
your lap? God? Corporations?

> Enjoy it while it lasts :)

Create it while you can - fight while there is still something to fight
for. Once it is gone it is too late.

"When they came for me, there was no one left to speak out..."

-mp


> 
> Mike
> 
>> Like ethical consumerism - Sainsbury's is not going to go away by
>> shopping in it. Shopping in Single-Step is better for the earth.
>>
>> Cyberspace is a space in a rather real sense, but it is being enclosed
>> by non-free projects. The more that join the non-free, corporate
>> networks, the easier it will be to introduce traffic prioritisation at
>> switch level, which the network providers are very keen to implement -
>> hard and software ready to go (debated in the US under the terms
>> "network neutrality" and "common carriage"). If the majority of
>> Internet
>> users are on Facecrack and Twitter (which will be highly prioritised),
>> then few will complain about the end of the free flowing internet.
>>
>> Facecrack and Twitter etc. are the preconditions for the end of free
>> traffic on the internet.
>>
>> mp
>>
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