Post #1339726

2026-03-30 06:39 UTC

@smallcircles it's already tough for FOSS developers who are (mostly) building their projects with little to no compensation to be held accountable for anything else. We have to shift the focus to the wrongdoers. What does weighing the result of externalities mean? Should we cancel a FOSS project because some bad actor started building on top? That's the end of FOSS. Should we add ethical (thus, subjective) layers of permissions on top of FOSS licenses? That also kills FOSS.

Replies (1)

@smallcircles@social.coop 2026-03-30 06:56

@bustikiller You ask the right questions. I do not have the answers, but think it is important to raise these questions and have exchanges like these to ponder things. I spent a ton of time and savings myself to contribute to the FOSS communit at large. Know very well about its sustainability issues. I love the idea of FOSS. The values, the principles. However, after 11 years in FOSS, my own personal conclusion is "FOSS alone isn't enough". It is just software + software freedoms, provided on the basis of US Copyright law. The comparison plants, bricks, bolts also works when saying "weapons". If we produced weapons and gave these to anyone with the label "For good use only". It gives a similar consideration to the Right to bear arms in the US constitution. There's not just 'giving away' here, but regulation and enforcement. FOSS has a very meagre amount of that. My pondering on possible answers I made part of Social experience design (SX) exploration. See https://coding.social

Open ##1339727