RE: [OS:N:] Open Source as a form of Anarcho-Communism?

["Paul Fitz" <pfitz dodo com au>]

>Regarding the following sentences

>> Anarcho-communism places a great emphasis on the workers owning the means
of
>> production.  In the case of the Internet, this would be the networks, and
>> software running on them (OS's - Linux, servers - apache, languages -
php,
>> perl etc., databases -postgres mysql etc)  Open source shares the belief
>> that the users should own the electornic means of production, as oposed
to a
>> corporation owning the networks and software to access them.
>>
>> Communist belief endorsing Good of the all over the few - All can benefit
>> from open source product, only relatively affluent can afford to even use
>> microsoft and even then, the source code is copyrighted intellectual
>> property

>Rafael said:
"I think the definition or extrapolation to internet of communinst emphasis
about the means of production is not correct. Basically in communist
countries you are not the owner of the computers or the software used to
develop, actually it is the goverment."

Hi Rafael, thanks for the input :)

Theoretically, communism is interested in the eventual abolishment of
governments, classes and borders.  In it's implementation, that goal is
somewhat harder to reach!  As seen in leninist russia, china, and cuba, it
is usually a vanguard of rebels/intellectuals who are involved in
overthrowing the old regime, and creating a new communist society.  In each
instance, the government has adopted a management style role, with the means
of production theoretically owned by the people but organised by the state.

No communist leader has reached their philosophical goal as of yet.
Anarcho-communism is slightly different from classical communism, they
believe that government should be abolished, the people must own the means
of production and the need for individual liberty and societal harmony must
be balanced however - management of the common good may be neccesary.  Ideas
for the Common good are neccesary, but only applied in a way that does not
adversely effect individual freedom.

The Anarcho-communist id distinctly anti-capitalist, productive property
(ie. land, factories) should be owned and shared by the collective, only
personal possesions are perceived to be morally correct (clothes, place to
live).  The governing body itself is the collective, and always has as their
focus, the preservation of individual freedoms.

So the theory goes that in an anarch-communist society, electronic means of
production are seen as productive property, and owned by the collective.
There are problems here in the theory when used in context with OS/FSW
communities for sure :o   (but thats why this group has been so useful for
illustrating them :)) Ie.  The hardware means of production used by OS/FSW
programmers are usually private property.  However, this is where people
disagree - I think that code itself is a means of production - that is from
code other creations can be formed.  PHP, Linux, Apache, MySQL, Perl etc.
can be seen as tools of creation in the electronic sphere.  What do you
think?

Elements of debate that have come up in the group:
- The existence of 'intellectual property' and an exact defintion (thanks
brendan)
- The question of the validity of the extension from lockean property rights
to phemenological creations
- Electronic tools of creation as means of production or disemination or
both (or neither).
- To look at what OS/FSW leaders think or what they do to illustrate
examples.
- Deifferentiating between OS and FSW communities
- OS as a corporate plaything!
- Theoretical and practical differences in what communism and anarchy
represent.

Please add to/revise the list anyone. :)
There are some interesting thoughts coming out for sure.
Cheers,
Paul