I recently re-read an article by Kevin Kelly in the June 09 issue of Wired (one of my neck and neck favorites). The article is titled "The New Socialism" - it's a great comparison of the old Governed Socialism to what it is today: a selfish volunteer workforce for a multifaceted and multi-platform greater good; it basically dissolves the obstacles that Capitalism provides when in the pursuit of something that is truly better / new and improved. The article made me think that amidst the wars, global warming, recession etc. that maybe the "open source" approach to the internet and its applications is the first step towards an enlightened society. Now we are far away from that sans a mind boggling catastrophic occurrence that plummets us into a unified crisis, leveling the playing field in such a manner that we're left with no other choice but come together... sorry but prepare yourself for a long winded statement; the open source approach to fixing the "bugs" has proved by far to be a huge and valuable success - according to Kelly's article over 60,000 'man years' were selfishly poured into the release of Linux 9 alone. Ultimately those involved aren't looking for fame or fortune - not even a pat on the back, they bridge gaps between unknown possibilities, allowing conclusions to be concisely drawn and essentially propel our thinkers onward, eliminating the need to hire, fire, consult, package, market, price, sell, update (you get the picture). So I started thinking of "open source" as another way to skin the proverbial cat - that of course requires numerous levels of expertise and education that I am far from: the way I 'humbly' think of this approach is basic, the infrastructure underlying our most inhumane conditions across the globe - lack of life essential resources such as a clean drinking water, sustainable food sources, education and eerily most of all a 'Voice' that's not muffled and heard by those with an ability to implement positive change (without petitions, red tape and commercials which are shocking and sad but seem to be an overall waste of money in it's production and broadcasting alone).
I know long - I need to get to the point, I pretty sure that I can and will and if this becomes too much don't worry, this is a Nicole Richie Blog in a few hours from now it'll be nothing more than skin and bones and you'll wonder how it even exists..
O.K. - the 60,000 man years that went into Linux 9 alone (in a year!) is a beacon of hope, we of course have to make a living and as technology advances to make that 'living' less arduous we are given more room to pursue our whims which are less likely to lead to debaucheries when the stresses of an inefficient system/infrastructure hikes up the prices of gas (a cost more per month than a car note), the price of food, utilities etc.. As we're given more room to breathe we're given more room to feel free to think freely. the task of achieving a efficient system that spans the globe will cost mega bucks - no way around that, but as our technologies require software to accelerate the processes of engineering a better way the open source approach presents an unparalleled workforce that if clocked at ten dollars an hour for 40 hours a week 12 months came to a total of $1,152,000,000.00 and that's based on the 60,000 man years that went into Linux 9 alone; I hate math and I'm sure there's someone who will decimate my simple calculations from the basement of their parents house during World of Warcraft quests - but based on the simple math for one application the value of the workers involved is mind boggling . eliminating the "pitch" to get the "account" to "package" the idea on specific levels will
- my three year old isn't going to give me a break and the point of this has escaped for now, but hopefully the momentum of this is enough for you to want to read Kelly's article and or put this into some perspective that gives you hope in our ever disappointing society...
No comments:
Post a Comment