[thelist] [OT] Gift Culture on the Net: A Rant

[Frank]

I've recently downloaded a freeware tag from the developer's 
exchange, and found it encrypted. Freeware. You can use it, you just 
aren't allowed to learn from it. Just what *is* this about?

I can appreciate the fact that a developer took the time to give away 
some free work. Very nice of you. Thanks. And why not take the extra 
step and release the code that goes along with it?

When the net first took off (pre-Mosaic and AOL), the majority of the 
participants were university educated people (OK, males). Mostly 
young, mostly idealistic. Such a time spawned such development the 
GPL, CopyLeft, etc. From that sprang what is known as the OpenSource 
movement.

Then came Mosaic, and pictures in web pages, and business brochures, 
and e-commerce, and e-commerce development companies at every level. 
Thoughout we've  maintained the fact that while profit is a most 
excellent thing, that one can also find the gift culture just as 
rewarding. It's the other side of the coin.

The some notable features of the gift culture:

- Meeting other's with shared interest.
- Collaboration (the most rewarding?).
- The sharing and exchange of new ideas.
- Getting free stuff that you can use or learn from.
- Exposing one's self to various styles and techniques.
- The reward of knowing that somewhere, somehow, you may have helped someone.

I see that perpetuating the gift culture on the net as a positive 
thing. One has access to to a large variety of free tool, programs 
and learning resources. There's no catch. In exchange, you give a 
little away, just what you can and no more.

What could be a more spiritual act than to do something that would 
allow another to make money (that you would never have seen anyway), 
providing materials to allow others to learn and improve their skills 
or simply to entertain?

I'm not suggesting that one give away the company jewels, or that one 
labour thanklessly for years, that's not win-win. I am suggesting 
that if many of us were to look though some of our old work, we might 
find some useful components, utilities and such that with minimal 
effort could be a boon to fellow developers, especially the novices.

There are member's here on Evolt who've already chosen this path. 
Thank you for that. Now it's my turn. Will you be the next?

-- 

Where there's a will, there's a way.

Frank Marion                      Loofah Communications
frank at loofahcom.com               http://www.loofahcom.com