Definition of Purpose

So for some reason I feel the need to define and publish my personal stance on several things. This is somewhere between a 'Mission Statement' (which feels to corporate and lacks personal responsibility) and a personal 'Manifesto' (which sounds too ominous and is associated with crazies). I hope, also, but putting in writing where I stand on things, I can become more firmly entrenched in these positions. So here we go, I will break this down by catagory, and then get specific.

1) Free Software - The concept of Free Software might need a bit of explanation, as in this case 'Free' means several things. When most people hear free they assume it meas free as in no cost, and while most Free Software is indeed no cost, that really isn't what I mean. Here I mean intellectually free. Like Free Speech. Free Software is software that uses the US copyright system to give you rights to the software you are using rather than to take those rights away from you. The group that is (at least visibly) spearheading this movement has their own definition that is surely clearer than any I could give. It can be found here at the FSF website. I have, since high school, been getting more and move involved in this Free Software movement, and the Free Culture that surrounds it, which takes me to the next subject.

2) Free Culture  - This is really just taking the Free Software moment to its logical endings. If the software I write is Free, what about the artwork, the blogs, the music? Free/Open culture the sharing of all ideas for the good of all of us. If I have created something, and you want to build something on top of it,  why shouldn't you. It makes what I have made even more useful, and give the world yet another interesting idea. To this end I have taken to listening to much more freely licensed music. Most of what I listen to can be found at Jamendo (Thanks to Dan from RatholeRadio for introducing me to may of the artists). This both saves me money (thats good) and circumvents a very broken system by which someone other than the artists (The RIAA or the recording studios in most cases) control the music. I also plan to officially release my blog as Creative Commons (as soon as I do a bit of research about the different versions of the license to choose the right one).

3) Open Technology - This (as most things do) springs from my FreeSoftware leaning. I would (and am for the sake of this post) define Open Technology as any hardware device that will allow me (the owner of it) to do exactly what every I want with it. That means that if I wanted to run Linux on my toaster, I should be free to do that without any thread of voiding a contract or warranty. This doesn't happen all that often, but it is getting more and more common. The saddest part is the companies that actively try to stop consumers from exercising this right on things they buy.  The prime example is Apple with their iPhone. If you were to 'jailbreak' your iPhone (to take it to a non-ATT network or run non-Apple approved apps on it, or just because you own it), you could be banned from the Apple Store, the next update might be designed specifically to 'brick' your phone, or any number of other things. This seems wrong.

4) Free Speech - My thoughts of Free Speech seem (at least to me) to differ slightly from the common conceptions. Firstly I believe that every right that we have comes, inherently, with an attached responsibility. In my mind, one cannot exist without the other. In the case of Free Speech, this is how it should work. I have the right to say anything that I feel. Anything at all. I can already hear some you you agreeing, but think about it for a moment. Anything. I should not be prevented from saying this on TV, over public airwaves, in public places. But, with this right comes the responsibility that I am actually responsible for what I say. If I were so inclined, I should be perfectly allowed to stand in the middle of a mall and deliver  a hate speech (I'm not, hate is horrible). Of course when a member of what ever group I was speaking against beats me to a pulp, part of the responsibility is mine. I feel that censorship, any censorship at all, is a violation of this right. Part of the right to Free Speech is the right to be offensive, and be offended. (You will all note that comments to my blog DO NOT require moderation, so go ahead, let me know why you disagree) 

Alright, I have outlined some of the (rather rigid) principals that I try to live my life by. Please let me know what you think, and stay tuned for more goofy rambling.

Lyle J. McKarns
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