Since the 80's, we've gone from floppies to CD roms.
Next step---the web!
Ideas don't come from a box; Thomas Edison said ideas came from space or the ethers...
It's only natural that when we receive great ideas (from the ethers) that we program it to go out into the ethers (the Internet) so that others can use and benefit from it!
I think someone who is a real Lone Coder wouldn't
want to sell out to the big boys, but just enjoy the happy prosperous lifestyle...
I don't think its a question of just finding a niche. Just doing something cooler better...
We should wear t-shirts that say:
Friends don't let friends code millions of lines!
Open Source, Visionary, Copyright, Trade Secrets
on
Is The Lone Coder Dead?
·
· Score: 2, Interesting
A one person coding company could exist as a sole proprietorship, a nonprofit corporation, a corporation, or a one person LLC.
They could build on open source applications, within their licensing rules.
The one person coding firm could also sell his or her software, and offer limited licensing (one to 5 personal copies per user) to whoever buys/leases the software. I realize it probably wouldn't be a EULA.
The software could be copyrighted to protect against pirates.
Trade Secrets are based on state laws. It protects the Coca Cola formula and other "secret" formula.
So when the one person coding firm wants to protect his/her work, copyright could protect the code, trade secrets could protect the "way" in which the software is produced, maybe even the way the box where the CD Rom is shipped.
The app would sit on the shoulders of Open Source giants, and thus friendly users could distribute 1-5 copies maybe. Friendly customer based pirating? Anything more than 5 copies would be considered piracy.
As far as patent infringements, my guess (only a guess) is that these could be avoided as long
as a person is building from or on an open source code. Assuming open source code does not use anything remotely like MS or Amazon patents.
Plus two people might disagree all the time. One person can perfect a cool vision!
No, this would have to be out in the open. Nothinmg secret. All new, every day. Open.
If some of these associations decided to have elections every 2 months, then no one would be President of a precinct, county or State Association for moree than 60 days. Object---a Jeffersonian renaissance. We can hope for significant change in representative government--this usually happens slower than we want. We can have RAPID change in these associations, who will all say, we don't need legislative or congressional money, we're perfectly capable of doing great things, of doing mammoth things on a small budget. Doing more with less...
Of course, they would have to exist within the current legal framework. Representative democracy USA style seems to add new warts almost every hour! New civilizations are being created every day whenever people say NO to something that is wrong, and do something new, surpassing the odds.
The only measure needed would just be the courage to begin.
Unless if they run parallel to the host system, then its possible that the associations could create something that would alter the host system, or scare the bejeezus out of it.
Plus the 2 dominant parties tend to be fear based, when in election mode, one Party saying So and So is a coward, he didn't bleed, the other Party saying, those guys will take Social Security away from you. I think it would be far better to grow a parallel association that would be HOPE based and based also on DOING, not electioneering and bloviating.
Programmers now are building applications that go with Firefox.
So open source politics would be where you create something new like Firefox (I am suggesting nonprofit associations, which are very simple to set up) and once that something new is set up, people join it, and then ON TOP of that new group(s), new things are built on that, too.
The old model of politics are two dominant political parties. What goes with them? Media, which make millions of $$$ from the old political process. Consultants, pollsters, party bosses. Bad ads, a bored electorate.
Simply create the opposite.
Not even new political parties, which have to get the approval of Secretaries of State to be "legal". Bypass that.
The new model. Instead of a November election, which is a poll certified by the Secretary of State, state that the purpose of the group/association is higher than opinion. The purpose would be action, projects, getting something neat done, built, realized.
In South Dakota in the 1870's, people didn't wait for the Territorial Legislature to disburse funds to them to build schools. They took subscriptions to build a school house for a few hundred dollars, then parents paid so many cents per week to pay the teacher. It was SUBSCRIPTION BASED.
Current elections are free, so that our "representatives" can decide how to spend out tax money.
A Zero Removes (Democracy) Association would not be free. Members could pay very nominal small dues by PayPal, say 10 cents. But it would be SUBSCRIPTION BASED, just like the old prairie schoolhouses. You want to do this project? Great, then just kick in $5 a month, and enjoy building something new, exciting, mammoth!
Old model--free but full of conflict and polling boo boos and those wonderful TV ads!
New model---not free, but smaller, more nimble, more of a community, emphasis on doing something instead of waiting for the polls to close...
What kind of projects?
Our imaginations can summon up many things! Just about anything! Feeding the homeless, helping out foodbanks, giving away 1,000 bottles of salsa, renovating several buildings, micro-enterprise funds, buying and donating musical instruments...
These associations would rise above politics and the vast sums that are being spent in Iraq and on the military.
With smaller sums of money, these associations would say: The good that we can do is unlimited! So let's start doing something good today!
I guess my model of Zero removes is based more on a nonprofit association rather than on a political model of a city or county.
Rather than set up a "competing" micro political system, instead "create" a "newer ultra modern" association of people interested in more self governance issues, that is, we choose to do this and do that, and we can legally do it as an association, rather than spend millions losing elections.
Rather than passing laws, just pass resoltions. Imagine 20 people get together, and they think of themselves as founding a wild west frontier town.
In reality, maybe a cyber town.
Its very EASY to set up an association with some cool objectives. Very difficult to set up a town, elections are required, it could get voted down.
When a programmer codes, and then people download his or her code, the programmer is not being stopped by the state. I am similarly saying that a bunch of Zero Removes associations are also allowed under the current laws to exist, and they can be seen analogously as entities existing WAY APART from the political world. That is, we have our association, it does cool stuff, everyone who wants to get elected gets elected...So these new associations do not have the force of law behind them, they have something more important. The force of irresistable illuminated cool ideas that will happen FASTER with associations than if they are SLOW TRACKED through the political arena. The associations will do it first, enjoy the triumph of a new idea realized, crack open the champagne, and they will have dozens of vineyards set up before the legislatures and congress wakes up and passes anything as remotely cool as what the associations did.
These associations won't replace politics and laws. They will transcend them and outwit them.
American politics now is all about 2 parties, lots of money, one party winning (for a while), and one party losing (for a while).
Open source politics would reverse that.
Multiple parties or groups. Running on small amounts of money. Everyone winning, because their issues are either being discussed, worked on, or accomplished.
Maybe we focus way too much attention on elections.
Sure that's where the power is. Trillions of dollars.
Elections are highly regulated.
Why don't we look towards accomplishments, doing grand projects, rather than winning elections (which is long and exchausting both financially and emotionally)?
Elections are about masses of people making decisions. Open source politics could be smaller groups of people making incrementally intelligent change daily!>
Did Linus Torvalds take a vote before he worked on Linux?
Did the Wright Brothers?
Politics is more than elections.
Anyone out there want to be a Wright Brother or Wright Sister of politics?
As William Blake said--
"Great things are done when men and mountains meet
this is not done by jostling on the street"
If we see mountains of diiculty today, that's great!
Here's my post that explains my idea--
http://politics.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=12884 9&threshold=-1&commentsort=1&tid=226&mode=thread&c id=10754290
It would be closer to a nonprofit that seeks to have members in all precincts, counties, and statewide on a particular issue or series of issues. It would be similar to a political party in that there would be elected organizational offices at every level. Also, a fair amount of discussion.
It wopuld be distinctively different from a political party in that each precinct, county and state group would agree in advance to pass and DO 3 resoltuions that would make their part of the world a better place. Sort of like a nonprofit
discussing and then DOING something positive. Not passing laws.
My idea of Open Source Political Service Groups is different than political parties. Political parties work best when they have real ongoing grassroots. Since this is somewhat lacking the USA, hence my
idea, which is more about project oriented groups that would not replace political parties, but work alongside them some of the time.
I think your idea will work in Australia! Since ballot access and legal recognition of parties can be a problem in some countries, hence my idea sort of bypasses parties and gets right down to resolutions and positive nonprofit action!
Current "dollarocracy" is marketing based, Bush spent the most money, he won. Most incumbents win after they spend more money than the challengers.
The open source political service groups that I discuss in my post "Hotter than Salsa" would be in effect, people saying, forget waiting for November. Let's elect ourselves, discuss and approve of 3 resolutions or projects, and DO the projects ourselves with our own resources!
"Idea Centered" is what these open source groups would be about. Not "which politician did what in the past" which is so much of current dollarocracy political advertising.
Politics in this last election was dollar-ocracy in action. Bush spent the most $$$$, got the most votes, Kerry 2nd, Libertarians 3rd...
I bring up in my post "Hotter than Salsa" that open source political service groups will say, in effect, we're here, we're doing something about this or that issue. They believe the solution is closer at hand than electing a Dem or Republican President who faces gridlock and lobbies.
Representative democracy is democracy at one or two removes.
Direct democracy in Switzerland is maybe one remove. They can directly change the constitution or laws by direct vote, after getting over 100,00 signatures on a petition.
Maybe my open source political service groups idea is democracy at ZERO removes. We elect ourselves to posts, agree on three or four resolutions, and then our goal for the rest of the calendar year would be to DO the resolutions.
This kind of new democracy is based on doing something, rather than passing more and more laws.
Grassroots 3rd parties got us the 40 hour work week, the right of women to vote, and many other things we take for granted.
Now that grassroots is not really "enabled" in the 2 party system, perhaps it will be TURNED ON by 3rd parties and by the Open Source Political Service Groups that I talk about in my "Salsa" post.
I live in South Dakota, usually considered a "Red" State.
Open Source could become VERY HOT, I think.
Political parties might look at us as, hey, here's a source of revenue and votes.
We should look PAST political parties and say:
Hey, we are going to build our own groups, HAVE OUR OWN DIGITAL OR PAPER BALLOT ELECTIONS, and HEY, We'll have elections every month or two, if we so choose.
We will be that will governs least, because we won't govern at all! We will simply acknowledge that political parties and ballot access are top down, and we will BE bottom-up.
Basically, anyone that SHOWS UP will be elected to our group(s), and they can choose whether they would like to be elected by the current members at the precinct, county, or state level.
It would actually be a nonprofit SERVICE group that could debate issues, elect people (thus showing we are NOT AFRAID of having elections OFTEN, with never any hanging chads!), and with part of any money raised, maybe 10%, donate to
TURBO Charities that empower people, and the other 90% can go to projects that really help people, instead of enriching the already well-off media.
Here's the models that we have:
Political Parties, PACS, 527s, ballot access--top down, money driven
Traditional nonprofits--usually top down, cannot be involved in politics directly
Open Source Political Service groups--so open source, they get things done! Idea-driven. Maybe each precinct, county or state group makes just 3 resolutions done(a resolve to get something done!)
each year! Sure political debate would happen, and the groups don't have to endorse candidates or give money to candidates. (Although individuals surely will).
The disconnect between top down parties and the people is pretty big.
I propose that we create Open Source Political Service groups in all states, in all shades of political thought (I am center-left), and grow huge ideas and PROJECTS, and it will work out quite well for these reasons:
1. We will elect regular people, and elect people often, and empower them in any function that they so choose (Precinct Governors, Senators, Representatives, also at the County and State level).
2. Our main goal will be to do 3 (or perhaps more) projects or resolutions per year, per precinct, county and state group.
3. Secondarily, some members may individually choose to hook up to a political party or its candidates.
4. The projects will do actual GOOD in the locality or state, and can be awesome and jaw dropping! Isn't that more exciting than millions of dollars going into a losing political camapaign. Politics is elections, of course, but it also about daily change and grand ideas, mammoth projects, too. Projects that are NOT derailed if a candidate loses. These projects just keep on going and going!
Yes, from these political service groups, other political parties might spring. That is possible.
The current political system is so driven on ballot access and recognized political parties.
I just think its VERY possible that political change and good things can happen outside of elections.
Let's say the laws changed, and Clinton and Gore became President and VP again. They would still face the massive opposition in Congress that they faced during 1993-2001. The Party system almost encourages 2 parties opposing each other, partisanship, gridlock.
The Open Source Service Groups (or whatever name we end up calling them) would be SO different. They would say:
1. We have elections in person or by e-mail, where there are no campaign costs. Real people get elected to REAL service group posts.
2. We actually DO something! 3-4 projects per year! Not bloviating on TV, radio and in print.
3. If we so choose, some individuals might go off and support a candidate. If not, no biggie, the groups go on, creating daily change through projects approved
Slashdot Mirror
Gooood!
Since the 80's, we've gone from floppies to CD roms. Next step---the web!
Ideas don't come from a box; Thomas Edison said ideas came from space or the ethers...
It's only natural that when we receive great ideas (from the ethers) that we program it to go out into the ethers (the Internet) so that others can use and benefit from it!
I will read that essay! Cool!
I think someone who is a real Lone Coder wouldn't want to sell out to the big boys, but just enjoy the happy prosperous lifestyle...
I don't think its a question of just finding a niche. Just doing something cooler better...
We should wear t-shirts that say:
Friends don't let friends code millions of lines!
A one person coding company could exist as a sole proprietorship, a nonprofit corporation, a corporation, or a one person LLC.
They could build on open source applications, within their licensing rules.
The one person coding firm could also sell his or her software, and offer limited licensing (one to 5 personal copies per user) to whoever buys/leases the software. I realize it probably wouldn't be a EULA.
The software could be copyrighted to protect against pirates.
Trade Secrets are based on state laws. It protects the Coca Cola formula and other "secret" formula.
So when the one person coding firm wants to protect his/her work, copyright could protect the code, trade secrets could protect the "way" in which the software is produced, maybe even the way the box where the CD Rom is shipped.
The app would sit on the shoulders of Open Source giants, and thus friendly users could distribute 1-5 copies maybe. Friendly customer based pirating? Anything more than 5 copies would be considered piracy.
As far as patent infringements, my guess (only a guess) is that these could be avoided as long as a person is building from or on an open source code. Assuming open source code does not use anything remotely like MS or Amazon patents.
Plus two people might disagree all the time. One person can perfect a cool vision!
No, this would have to be out in the open. Nothinmg secret. All new, every day. Open.
If some of these associations decided to have elections every 2 months, then no one would be President of a precinct, county or State Association for moree than 60 days. Object---a Jeffersonian renaissance. We can hope for significant change in representative government--this usually happens slower than we want. We can have RAPID change in these associations, who will all say, we don't need legislative or congressional money, we're perfectly capable of doing great things, of doing mammoth things on a small budget. Doing more with less...
Of course, they would have to exist within the current legal framework. Representative democracy USA style seems to add new warts almost every hour! New civilizations are being created every day whenever people say NO to something that is wrong, and do something new, surpassing the odds.
The only measure needed would just be the courage to begin.
Unless if they run parallel to the host system, then its possible that the associations could create something that would alter the host system, or scare the bejeezus out of it.
Plus the 2 dominant parties tend to be fear based, when in election mode, one Party saying So and So is a coward, he didn't bleed, the other Party saying, those guys will take Social Security away from you. I think it would be far better to grow a parallel association that would be HOPE based and based also on DOING, not electioneering and bloviating.
Programmers now are building applications that go with Firefox.
So open source politics would be where you create something new like Firefox (I am suggesting nonprofit associations, which are very simple to set up) and once that something new is set up, people join it, and then ON TOP of that new group(s), new things are built on that, too.
The old model of politics are two dominant political parties. What goes with them? Media, which make millions of $$$ from the old political process. Consultants, pollsters, party bosses. Bad ads, a bored electorate.
Simply create the opposite.
Not even new political parties, which have to get the approval of Secretaries of State to be "legal". Bypass that.
The new model. Instead of a November election, which is a poll certified by the Secretary of State, state that the purpose of the group/association is higher than opinion. The purpose would be action, projects, getting something neat done, built, realized.
In South Dakota in the 1870's, people didn't wait for the Territorial Legislature to disburse funds to them to build schools. They took subscriptions to build a school house for a few hundred dollars, then parents paid so many cents per week to pay the teacher. It was SUBSCRIPTION BASED.
Current elections are free, so that our "representatives" can decide how to spend out tax money.
A Zero Removes (Democracy) Association would not be free. Members could pay very nominal small dues by PayPal, say 10 cents. But it would be SUBSCRIPTION BASED, just like the old prairie schoolhouses. You want to do this project? Great, then just kick in $5 a month, and enjoy building something new, exciting, mammoth!
Old model--free but full of conflict and polling boo boos and those wonderful TV ads!
New model---not free, but smaller, more nimble, more of a community, emphasis on doing something instead of waiting for the polls to close...
What kind of projects?
Our imaginations can summon up many things! Just about anything! Feeding the homeless, helping out foodbanks, giving away 1,000 bottles of salsa, renovating several buildings, micro-enterprise funds, buying and donating musical instruments...
These associations would rise above politics and the vast sums that are being spent in Iraq and on the military.
With smaller sums of money, these associations would say: The good that we can do is unlimited! So let's start doing something good today!
South Dakota has primaries in June. We don't have caucuses.
My main concern about parties in South Dakota is that the grass roots here seems fleeting and only exists every 2 years.
To me grassroots means permanent, doing something, no matter how incremental, each month.
I guess my model of Zero removes is based more on a nonprofit association rather than on a political model of a city or county.
Rather than set up a "competing" micro political system, instead "create" a "newer ultra modern" association of people interested in more self governance issues, that is, we choose to do this and do that, and we can legally do it as an association, rather than spend millions losing elections.
Rather than passing laws, just pass resoltions. Imagine 20 people get together, and they think of themselves as founding a wild west frontier town. In reality, maybe a cyber town.
Its very EASY to set up an association with some cool objectives. Very difficult to set up a town, elections are required, it could get voted down.
When a programmer codes, and then people download his or her code, the programmer is not being stopped by the state. I am similarly saying that a bunch of Zero Removes associations are also allowed under the current laws to exist, and they can be seen analogously as entities existing WAY APART from the political world. That is, we have our association, it does cool stuff, everyone who wants to get elected gets elected...So these new associations do not have the force of law behind them, they have something more important. The force of irresistable illuminated cool ideas that will happen FASTER with associations than if they are SLOW TRACKED through the political arena. The associations will do it first, enjoy the triumph of a new idea realized, crack open the champagne, and they will have dozens of vineyards set up before the legislatures and congress wakes up and passes anything as remotely cool as what the associations did.
These associations won't replace politics and laws. They will transcend them and outwit them.
American politics now is all about 2 parties, lots of money, one party winning (for a while), and one party losing (for a while).
Open source politics would reverse that.
Multiple parties or groups. Running on small amounts of money. Everyone winning, because their issues are either being discussed, worked on, or accomplished.
Maybe we focus way too much attention on elections.
Sure that's where the power is. Trillions of dollars.
Elections are highly regulated.
Why don't we look towards accomplishments, doing grand projects, rather than winning elections (which is long and exchausting both financially and emotionally)?
Elections are about masses of people making decisions. Open source politics could be smaller groups of people making incrementally intelligent change daily!>
Did Linus Torvalds take a vote before he worked on Linux?
Did the Wright Brothers?
Politics is more than elections.
Anyone out there want to be a Wright Brother or Wright Sister of politics?
As William Blake said--
"Great things are done when men and mountains meet this is not done by jostling on the street"
If we see mountains of diiculty today, that's great!
Now we know GREAT THINGS can be done!
Here's my post that explains my idea--4 9&threshold=-1&commentsort=1&tid=226&mode=thread&c id=10754290
http://politics.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=1288
It would be closer to a nonprofit that seeks to have members in all precincts, counties, and statewide on a particular issue or series of issues. It would be similar to a political party in that there would be elected organizational offices at every level. Also, a fair amount of discussion.
It wopuld be distinctively different from a political party in that each precinct, county and state group would agree in advance to pass and DO 3 resoltuions that would make their part of the world a better place. Sort of like a nonprofit discussing and then DOING something positive. Not passing laws.
Alex Martin
See my post "Absolutely! Hotter than Salsa!"
My idea of Open Source Political Service Groups is different than political parties. Political parties work best when they have real ongoing grassroots. Since this is somewhat lacking the USA, hence my idea, which is more about project oriented groups that would not replace political parties, but work alongside them some of the time.
I think your idea will work in Australia! Since ballot access and legal recognition of parties can be a problem in some countries, hence my idea sort of bypasses parties and gets right down to resolutions and positive nonprofit action!
Current "dollarocracy" is marketing based, Bush spent the most money, he won. Most incumbents win after they spend more money than the challengers.
The open source political service groups that I discuss in my post "Hotter than Salsa" would be in effect, people saying, forget waiting for November. Let's elect ourselves, discuss and approve of 3 resolutions or projects, and DO the projects ourselves with our own resources!
"Idea Centered" is what these open source groups would be about. Not "which politician did what in the past" which is so much of current dollarocracy political advertising.
Politics in this last election was dollar-ocracy in action. Bush spent the most $$$$, got the most votes, Kerry 2nd, Libertarians 3rd...
I bring up in my post "Hotter than Salsa" that open source political service groups will say, in effect, we're here, we're doing something about this or that issue. They believe the solution is closer at hand than electing a Dem or Republican President who faces gridlock and lobbies.
Representative democracy is democracy at one or two removes.
Direct democracy in Switzerland is maybe one remove. They can directly change the constitution or laws by direct vote, after getting over 100,00 signatures on a petition.
Maybe my open source political service groups idea is democracy at ZERO removes. We elect ourselves to posts, agree on three or four resolutions, and then our goal for the rest of the calendar year would be to DO the resolutions.
This kind of new democracy is based on doing something, rather than passing more and more laws.
Grassroots 3rd parties got us the 40 hour work week, the right of women to vote, and many other things we take for granted.
Now that grassroots is not really "enabled" in the 2 party system, perhaps it will be TURNED ON by 3rd parties and by the Open Source Political Service Groups that I talk about in my "Salsa" post.
I live in South Dakota, usually considered a "Red" State.
Open Source could become VERY HOT, I think.
Political parties might look at us as, hey, here's a source of revenue and votes.
We should look PAST political parties and say:
Hey, we are going to build our own groups, HAVE OUR OWN DIGITAL OR PAPER BALLOT ELECTIONS, and HEY, We'll have elections every month or two, if we so choose.
We will be that will governs least, because we won't govern at all! We will simply acknowledge that political parties and ballot access are top down, and we will BE bottom-up.
Basically, anyone that SHOWS UP will be elected to our group(s), and they can choose whether they would like to be elected by the current members at the precinct, county, or state level.
It would actually be a nonprofit SERVICE group that could debate issues, elect people (thus showing we are NOT AFRAID of having elections OFTEN, with never any hanging chads!), and with part of any money raised, maybe 10%, donate to TURBO Charities that empower people, and the other 90% can go to projects that really help people, instead of enriching the already well-off media.
Here's the models that we have:
Political Parties, PACS, 527s, ballot access--top down, money driven
Traditional nonprofits--usually top down, cannot be involved in politics directly
Open Source Political Service groups--so open source, they get things done! Idea-driven. Maybe each precinct, county or state group makes just 3 resolutions done(a resolve to get something done!) each year! Sure political debate would happen, and the groups don't have to endorse candidates or give money to candidates. (Although individuals surely will).
The disconnect between top down parties and the people is pretty big.
I propose that we create Open Source Political Service groups in all states, in all shades of political thought (I am center-left), and grow huge ideas and PROJECTS, and it will work out quite well for these reasons:
1. We will elect regular people, and elect people often, and empower them in any function that they so choose (Precinct Governors, Senators, Representatives, also at the County and State level).
2. Our main goal will be to do 3 (or perhaps more) projects or resolutions per year, per precinct, county and state group.
3. Secondarily, some members may individually choose to hook up to a political party or its candidates.
4. The projects will do actual GOOD in the locality or state, and can be awesome and jaw dropping! Isn't that more exciting than millions of dollars going into a losing political camapaign. Politics is elections, of course, but it also about daily change and grand ideas, mammoth projects, too. Projects that are NOT derailed if a candidate loses. These projects just keep on going and going!
Yes, from these political service groups, other political parties might spring. That is possible.
The current political system is so driven on ballot access and recognized political parties.
I just think its VERY possible that political change and good things can happen outside of elections.
Let's say the laws changed, and Clinton and Gore became President and VP again. They would still face the massive opposition in Congress that they faced during 1993-2001. The Party system almost encourages 2 parties opposing each other, partisanship, gridlock.
The Open Source Service Groups (or whatever name we end up calling them) would be SO different. They would say:
1. We have elections in person or by e-mail, where there are no campaign costs. Real people get elected to REAL service group posts.
2. We actually DO something! 3-4 projects per year! Not bloviating on TV, radio and in print.
3. If we so choose, some individuals might go off and support a candidate. If not, no biggie, the groups go on, creating daily change through projects approved