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Dave Lane 🇳🇿

@downey a strong case could, I think, be made that publicly funding proprietary software (i.e. implicit monopolies) is contrary to the greater good, and public funds should not be allocated to it. At all. We just need leaders who understand the exploitative nature of Big Tech (see davelane.nz/proprietary), are smart enough to realise that TrickleDown Economics isn't a thing, *and* who aren't corrupt af. Sadly, seems unlikely those stars'll align any time soon. @onepict @jens @josh

4 comments
Jens Finkhäuser

@lightweight One difficulty with that is that public funding of industry is already common practice, so excluding tech from that is going to need more than a strong case. @downey @onepict @josh

Jens Finkhäuser

@lightweight @lightweight Sure, but then you're facing an even bigger fight.

I think it's probably best to find a way to make FLOSS fundable, but not its exploitation - that's business as usual.
Which we have with e.g. NLNet, but the scale of what they do doesn't meet the needs.

@downey @onepict @josh @downey @onepict @josh

Dave Lane 🇳🇿 replied to Jens

@jens ultimately, this comes down to fundamental principles of democracy, which are being flouted in most of the world's so-called democracies. It seems to me that the "greater good" and "core digital infrastructure" are the "right" direction to head, but yes, it won't be easy. I think anything that depends on businesses or philanthropy is doomed before it begins. @downey @onepict @josh

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