Computers

[Qwerty Dvorak]

I just saw a thread about Wikipedia potentially being privatized somewhere else on the board. Aside from the issue at hand (which was dismissed as improbable), I found the sentiment that Wikipedia is an anarchist/Communist success story. Indeed it is; while its accuracy and neutrality has been criticized at times, by and large it is probably the largest and most widely used encyclopaedia out there. This just goes to show that non-profit organization and collective ownership and entitlement is not only feasible, but quite productive.

However I think there is another chapter in this story, namely that of OpenOffice and Linux. Now most of you probably already know how great Linux is because... well, it's not Microsoft, basically. Many distributions such as Ubuntu Linux are free and better than Windows. However, have we really capitalized on this? Many a time, during the course of an argument with some capitalist I have found myself up against the argument that, if there is no monetary incentive, quality of work will decrease. Now I used to find this argument hard to counter in words, until it was pointed out to me that by any objective, technical measure the programs of the OpenOffice and Linux series' are vastly superior to their Microsoft counterparts (Vista being the exception, but come on, how much time/money did it take them to cough that up? And how long do you give it before it's overtaken by Linux?). Why? Because the people who programme the non-profit programs do so out of love for programming, technology and a desire to contribute to humanity and society, as opposed to those who do it purely for money, and really just want to crank out the minimum quality/quantity of work that will allow them to take their paycheck to the bank.

So, is this an answer to those annoying cappie arguments involving incentive? Is the computer technology industry an example of the kind of motivational system we have always espoused, the one the capitalists refuse to believe exists? Is it a legitimate example for use in argument or propaganda, and if so, how do we use this to our advantage?

[pushinghistory]

Wikipedia is a "not-for-profit" organisation - it is neither capitalist nor socialist in its remit. You can argue that it's "free" but the truth is that it's supported by the donations of thousands of users - much like many public parks and thoroughfares around the world.

Wikipedia is a private organisation, like it or not.

[RNK]

while its accuracy and neutrality has been criticized at times

Actually, about a year ago someone did a study and found that Wikipedia articles on average are as accurate as news reports.

[Lenin II]

HAHA! I never thought about Wikipedia that way. I have a newfound respect for it. And by the way, even though it is maintained by the donations of users, that can be compared to the high taxes in a socialist society. Later, in a communist society, money will be abolished and such things will be free.

[JRR883]

I agree, the Open Source Movement is communism at work. Alas, as long as the large corporations and, in turn, the end users adopt proprietary standards that FOSS programmers have to backwards engineer, it will always be a step behind. We are seeing a new wave of freedom in corporate products. Sun is GPL-ing their Java products, and Microsoft servers are shrinking in number. When all computer technology is free, we're that much closer to freedom from property and its associated evils. By the way, Vista sucks, no matter how much money MS put into its development.

If you're using Windows (legally), you're part of the problem. Switch to a free operating system. I recommend Ubuntu Linux. There are a range of resources that you can use to help you switch.

This is most definitely a legitimate argument against the inherent human need for incentive. The whole concept of hobbies is. In communism, there is no work. There are hobbies, and EVERYTHING is a hobby to somebody.