there also this recounting of the splitting away and rebranding of libre software to open source: https://thebaffler.com/salvos/the-meme-hustler
While free software was meant to force developers to lose sleep over ethical dilemmas, open source software was meant to end their insomnia.
The coup succeeded. Stallman’s project was marginalized. But O’Reilly and his acolytes didn’t win with better arguments; they won with better PR. To make his narrative about open source software credible to a public increasingly fascinated by the Internet, O’Reilly produced a highly particularized account of the Internet that subsequently took on a life of its own. In just a few years, that narrative became the standard way to talk about Internet history, giving it the kind of neat intellectual coherence that it never actually had.
This is so interesting. I can't believe I haven't interrogated O'Reilly Media's role in the modern tech world, but this is really an illuminating piece.
Fun fact, the open source movement (in contrast to the free software movement, you already got RMS there) was started by Randian psychopaths (CW: extreme homophobia, reactionary thinking). So you're more right than you know.
there also this recounting of the splitting away and rebranding of libre software to open source: https://thebaffler.com/salvos/the-meme-hustler
damn I didn't realize O'Reilly was part of that
mind flaying
This is so interesting. I can't believe I haven't interrogated O'Reilly Media's role in the modern tech world, but this is really an illuminating piece.
Somehow I knew that link was to ESR. What a fucknut.
tbh between him and Bruce there was a lot to work with