Manifesto of the free association for software
From akosma wiki
version 1.0
april 24th, 2009
we, workers in the area of computer systems, in charge of the creation and maintenance of one of the pillars of the construction of the modern world, usually referred to as "software", do affirm and establish the following manifesto with complete freedom.
Contents |
introduction
this manifesto does not establish rules, but rather enumerates certain fundational principles, that some of us have taken as idea, vision, objective and will. this manifesto is what we subscribe and declare.
we think that to organize freely is good, and as such there is no rigidity nor lack of thereof. this manifesto does not prescribe a will to others but describes our own. this text will be modified in the future, with new version numbers.
this manifesto is written in lowercase to enhance its igualitarian character, without privileges nor decorations.
this manifesto exists in open, free, non-propietary formats, for its inconditional and unlimited distribution.
basis
all process of change starts with the refusal of a certain state of things. the cry for rejection is not only needed, it is healthy and required. it is a fundamental component of human nature.
laws written in stone are source of death and destruction, genocide and hunger, inequality and sadness.
ethics are more important than rules.
the fact of making, simply and purely, towards a common goal, is more important that ideological purity or hard pragmatism.
we do not recognize the word "justice" as sinonym of the phrase "application of the law" but as synonim of the phrase "enhancement of the state of the world and its inhabitants".
ethics establish a basic principle: don't do to others what you don't want them to do to you. this principle is the foundation of our action and guides our path.
in this sense, the observation of the world leads to the conclusion that it is not ruled by ethics, but by rules written in stone.
we refuse this state of things with a unanimous and worldwide cry, humbly realizing that our profession has collaborated and still collaborates in the worsening of the state of the world, like any other activity inserted in the market system, helping its establishment and reproduction.
changing the world from one day to another is not our main objective, but rather, changing ourselves, our way of seeing and making it.
we do not identify ourselves nor support doctrinary thinking or inert mass movements that can only lead to shifting the balance of power from side to side.
our objective is the elimination of that balance. our objective is non-power, non-coercion, non-destruction.
facts
we recognize money and hierarchies as the two main causes of the current state of the world.
we recognize the relationship between human beings, basically, without interest, cooperative, brotherly, as the only valid relationship for the construction of a common future.
we recognize in software a double functional and aesthetical power which puts him in par with any artisan activity placing it in between science and art. it is another medium of human expression.
we recognize computers (in all forms and sizes) and programs (in any language, platform and capacity) as entities in service of humans, and not the other way around. used ethically, they can greatly help enhance the human well-being in general.
we consider technology, in general terms, as a human capacity to enhance life conditions. we consider that the serious and huge prejudice generated by technology in the modern world are dues to lack of ethics and common sense. we denounce the dangers of undiscriminated patterns of social development.
we recognize the freedom of expression and the "copyleft" as basic pillars to move the whole society away from ignorance, which is recognized by us as a conditio sine qua non for a better world.
we recognize the alienation of the software programmer respect to her creation as the main cause of errors and software-based problems, and as an another expression of the problems generated by the alienation of workers in the current social situation.
the following concepts are not ethically compatible with our principles: "boss", "employee", "subordinate", "superior", "manager", "layoff", "restructuration", "contract", "explotation". needless to say, all of these concepts (and many others) are, for us, plain synonyms.
social form
following the points stated above, we recognize the free association for software as the only social form with economical sense that is simultaneously ethically compatible with the principles in the current situation.
in a free association for software there are no employees. hence, there cannot be layoffs. there are participants, colleagues, friends, with whom we share a common construction towards a common objective.
each and every one collaborates depending her capacities, to the well being of each and every one.
the expressions "social form" or "free association" do not imply a bureaucratic registry or a formal establishment or recognition; any gathering of equals answering to these ideals is valid and recommended.
a free association for software helps solve needs that can be satisfied using computers and programs, websites, mobile phones or other media of processing, access and diffusion of information.
to create software is an activity that takes time and as such can be expensive. the economic responsibility of a free association creating software consists, then, in determining the economic needs of its members and to organize projects that can fulfill those needs, also in direct function of the capabilities and needs of the final users of those projects.
the objective of the free association for software is not profit, but the attention of economic needs of its members and the technological needs of society.
a free association for software does not give up in face of the external pressions of volatile capital or the short-term benefit. as such, a free association for software does not "open its capital" to external investors, does not "sell parts" of itself or "get capitalized" nor makes "initial public offerings" in any market. it does not use "venture capital" nor any other income other the sale of its own products or services contracted by external parties, themselves agreeing to the ethic criteria explained in this document.
in summary, a free association for software has the objective of organic, controlled, required growth, but only when sustainable ecologically and socially speaking, and it does not aims for the greatness or the savage behavior of global markets.
objetives
in the specific case of our function and task, which is the creation of software, our objectives are (approximately in the following order of importance):
- establishment of a workplace suitable for the artisanal creation and the productive work. the center of our attention is the programmer, the producer, the creator.
- decentralization of decisions and organization of teams without rigidity in function of the projects and the specific needs.
- distribution of roles and responsibilities based on experience and / or technical and creative capabilities, with the necessity and the promotion of information exchange between team members, and between different teams.
- responsible and required distribution of any income between all members of the free association, in function of their needs.
- unconditional respect for nature and environment.
- promotion of teaching of our craft in all its forms, languages and cultures, using all the technological media in our reach, towards the inside and the outside of the free association.
- use, promotion and contribution to open source and free software projects, keeping the pragmatism needed to consider the use of proprietary code whenever required or appropriate.
- defense without restrictions of the "copyleft", to the interchange of free information without restrictions, in all forms and media.
- generation of subsistence means, so that each member can have a life, profession and person with dignity.
- public statement of points of view, with decentralized and independent communication media. we state our opinions and thoughts in common and without doubt, denouncing and offering pragmatic answers to the problems faced by the world we share.
non-objetives
as important as the definition of the objectives, the following items bring limits to our action, as required by our ethical principles.
- we do not collaborate nor offer our products or services in any way to individuals or organizations involved in the following activities:
- petrochemicals
- atomic energy
- weapons (or any kind of military goods or services)
- representative politics or government agencies
- global or local financial systems
- invasions in the private life of individuals.
- we do not collaborate nor offer our products or services in any way to individuals or organizations recognized by the following acts, in any of its forms, anywhere in the world:
- human rights violations
- destruction of the environment
- restrictions to the freedom of speech
- financial crisis generating job losses or increase of poverty
- we do not claim fanatism or devotion for any technological platform in particular, instead we keep the required pragmatism to use the technology / technologies better adapted to the requirements of each project.
conclusion
we consider software programming as a productive work in the technological area, the potential of which in relationship to the social well-being has not yet been deployed properly.
we see the free association for software as a link in a fundamental and needed chain of cooperation and distribution.
we see the free association for software as an entity led by ethics, flexible and dynamic, in relationship with other similar organizations proposing a different view on human activities.
we promote the spontaneous generation of similar free associations, inspired in this manifesto all over the world, and promote the cooperation and interchange between them.
