I'm not FreeDevelopers educated enough to answer you. Tony could you explain why it could work ?
My apologies for taking so long to respond, but I have been traveling.
I will try to answer your questions as best as I can on the CommCo. However, before I can explain the solution, I need to explain the background, because form needs to follow function.
I suggest that you read three background pieces.
1. A DCLUG speech that ties most things together [http://lwn.net/daily/guardians.php3]
2. Why Microsoft is a Dinosaur [http://www.newsforge.com/article.pl?sid=01/04/23/2336214&mode=thread], which explains why old paradigms no longer apply with software, because this is a new age unlike the Industrial Age, and
3. Why FreeDevelopers used the Declaration of Independence as a model for the Declaration of Software Freedom: Is Software Law or Literature. [http://FreeDevelopers.net/press/whydecl/], which deals with why free software ought to be the paradigm on moral principles.
The short description of these pieces is that free software is morally and philosophically superior to proprietary, so it ought to be the paradigm. Free software is economically more efficient than proprietary and so it will be the paradigm eventually. But free software has one major obstacle in establishing itself as the paradigm -- paying developers. Since free software doesn't pay its developers, this fact causes the personal interests of developers to conflict with their social interest. As such, most of the world's 4 million developers produce closed code, even though it is inefficient to do so and also morally wrong as RMS as stated for 17 years.
This is like the case a few hundred years ago, when surgeons kept their innovations secret to benefit themselves personally, but harming everyone else at the same time. Over time, this was seen as immoral and inefficient, and therefore the paradigm changed, so that surgical innovations were shared. I believe that the same will happen with software. But like those surgeons who resisted at that time, because they personally benefited, we will have those who personally benefit now to oppose the change that is good for everyone.
[Warning: I'm a Computer engineer who has taken a few business classes and helps somes companies top level management understand their systems.]
FYI. I am a securities attorney, with a general law degree and a master of laws (LL.M.) in securities/corporate law. I worked for over 5 years at the US Securities and Exchange Commission, Internet and software group. I worked on over 300 IPOs in that time and had to analyze the industry in depth as part of my job.
It's interesting as an idea, but solely as that. This won't work. The reason why free software has worked so well so far is the connection between users and developers: the user is the develloper.
This is one reason that free software works, but a minor one. The main reason free software works is because it is a much more efficient developmental paradigm. Perhaps as much as 10x more efficient. This is explained more in the DCLUG speech, but mostly in the article, Why Microsoft is a Dinosaur.
The proof of the huge efficiency gains from free software is GNU/Linux. Without money and without corporate organization GNU/Linux should not have been able to compete successfully with Microsoft, which is probably the world's greatest corporation with a monopoly on the desktop, 85% gross margins and $25 billion in the bank. Unless free software development was vastly more efficient, GNU/Linux would not be possible.
Even Microsoft, who is usually accused of not listening to its customers has the biggest usability labs in the world (yes, one of the reasons word has so many features is that they put "everything" in it the usability labs tell them to).
Now, if you believe Microsoft is not a sucessful company, from not only a financial view, but also from a political/advocacy point of view, then ignore this.
The structure they propose is not different from proprietary software companies, it's just like them,
I don't understand this statement. FreeDevelopers is a worldwide, inclusive membership organization that will be fully democratic. How is this like Microsoft or any other proprietary company? This structure is more like NASD/NASDAQ, VISA/banks, Medical Associations/doctors, or bar associations/lawyers. It is constructed as a self regulatory organization. It is more like these SRO entities, but will go far further than they do, because FreeDevelopers will have its own marketing entity.
but like the ones who were beaten up by MS. I believe this proposal was done with the best of intentions, but it has no way to survive, at least not in the big picture.
What are your reasons for this statement? This is a conclusory opinion. And I have an opposite one. The only way to think about which is right is to have reasons as a basis for either opinion.
BTW I believe it's impossible to have a single entity doing the role proposed for freedevelopers.net. Can someone explain me why, on a networked world, someone proposes a single entity point of access ?
The CommCo is not a single point of access. It is a single marketing company distribution point, because otherwise GPL software can't be funded and the industry stays inefficiently proprietary just to pay the developers.
Because of the freedoms given by GPL, there is a problem that competing GPL marketing entities will compete themselves to death, since they could always take the code (that they don't pay to develop) and sell for near zero cost that doesn't recoup the development cost.
To recoup the development costs, the marketing entities have to be coordinated to not charge less than the salaries to the developers. With traditional organization and competition, competing free software marketing companies will collapse (as we are seeing with the open source companies).
So we need a single marketing company to pay the developers. But a single distribution point is not a problem for developers, because they will own the marketing company as a community. Also, the development is still free and open like it is now and will be uncontrolled by the marketing entity.
On 25 May 2001 13:10:49 -0400, TonStanco@aol.com wrote:
I suggest that you read three background pieces.
Done that. If I understood what you wrote and the pieces your main points are that:
- Free software development is more efficient than proprietary software. - Software should be free because it can enforce controls on people. - To become the only kind of software development, free software development needs to find a way to get money to developers.
It's interesting as an idea, but solely as that. This won't work. The reason why free software has worked so well so far is the connection between users and developers: the user is the develloper.
This is one reason that free software works, but a minor one. The main reason free software works is because it is a much more efficient developmental paradigm. Perhaps as much as 10x more efficient. This is explained more in the DCLUG speech, but mostly in the article, Why Microsoft is a Dinosaur.
I disagree. I believe that then power of free software appears when a user has a problem and solves it and can share it with others. His solution evolves with the feedback from others and becomes several solutions to several people problems. I believe that this is more than a minor reason, it's the reason why free software works.
The proof of the huge efficiency gains from free software is GNU/Linux.
I prefer effectiveness to efficiency. Means getting results while effectiveness may mean to optimize a single step of the solution.
The structure they propose is not different from proprietary software companies, it's just like them,
I don't understand this statement. FreeDevelopers is a worldwide, inclusive membership organization that will be fully democratic. How is this like Microsoft or any other proprietary company? This structure is more like NASD/NASDAQ, VISA/banks, Medical Associations/doctors, or bar associations/lawyers. It is constructed as a self regulatory organization. It is more like these SRO entities, but will go far further than they do, because FreeDevelopers will have its own marketing entity.
My this is just a question of belief, but I don't believe that a single entity (FSMC) can represent either the diversity or the power of free software. I understand marketing has giving to people what they want or need. I don't believe that anyone who is not in close contact with the developers can effectively market a software product, especially if you take into account cultural differences. Having a single entity doing this for all free software is just a task too big to be done.
What I do believe is in a network of "Independent consultants", as the document calls them, that can be either persons or companies. The nodes of this network will have 2 things working for them: the knowledge of a certain market and an understanding of free software that allows them to contact directly the free software community.
Companies like freedevelopers.net-marketing would eventually appear as the network develops itself, not before, and probably not as a single company.
but like the ones who were beaten up by MS. I believe this proposal was done with the best of intentions, but it has no way to survive, at least not in the big picture.
What are your reasons for this statement? This is a conclusory opinion. And I have an opposite one. The only way to think about which is right is to have reasons as a basis for either opinion.
I hope I have exposed them above. If not, let me try to clarify: - No single entity is able to represent all free software solutions. - No single entity is able to effectivly represent any software solution to all or even most of the world's cultures. - Marketers have a natural power over developers (even if most developers don't want to recognize this): they know the customer and understand what he/she wants.
BTW I believe it's impossible to have a single entity doing the role proposed for freedevelopers.net. Can someone explain me why, on a networked world, someone proposes a single entity point of access ?
The CommCo is not a single point of access. It is a single marketing company distribution point, because otherwise GPL software can't be funded and the industry stays inefficiently proprietary just to pay the developers.
If I understand it right freedevelopers.net model of paying developers depends on the effectiveness of FSMC. For the reasons stated above I don't think this will work.
So we need a single marketing company to pay the developers. But a single distribution point is not a problem for developers, because they will own the marketing company as a community. Also, the development is still free and open like it is now and will be uncontrolled by the marketing entity.
Sorry, this makes me remember how Jeff Bezos on unions ("our employees don't need a union because they all own the company"). A single distribution point IS a problem for a lot of developers, that have learned to contact directly with their users and have seen the feedback loop work for them.
Unless I'm completly missing the point, freedevelopers.net model depends on controlling GPL projects distribution, creating an artificial scarcity. In my opinion this will not work, as proprietary software model won't work. Something more like the "Street Performer Protocol", user donations or some kind of "work recognition" awards.
Supporting a worldwide freeflow of money (like a worldwide cheap, localized paypal-like service) that allowed these recognition systems to work would be, in my view, a more effective help to free software developers than any other structure.