From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.2 (2018-09-13) on dcvr.yhbt.net X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-ASN: AS22989 209.51.188.0/24 X-Spam-Status: No, score=-3.9 required=3.0 tests=AWL,BAYES_00, HEADER_FROM_DIFFERENT_DOMAINS,MAILING_LIST_MULTI,RCVD_IN_DNSWL_MED, SPF_HELO_NONE,SPF_NONE shortcircuit=no autolearn=ham autolearn_force=no version=3.4.2 Received: from lists.gnu.org (lists.gnu.org [209.51.188.17]) (using TLSv1.2 with cipher ECDHE-RSA-AES256-GCM-SHA384 (256/256 bits)) (No client certificate requested) by dcvr.yhbt.net (Postfix) with ESMTPS id 8A6511F463 for ; Sun, 22 Sep 2019 02:24:03 +0000 (UTC) Received: from localhost ([::1]:44590 helo=lists1p.gnu.org) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.90_1) (envelope-from ) id 1iBrXe-0002zc-BR for e@80x24.org; Sat, 21 Sep 2019 22:24:02 -0400 Received: from eggs.gnu.org ([2001:470:142:3::10]:34567) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.90_1) (envelope-from ) id 1iBrXG-0002zE-AH for libreplanet-discuss@libreplanet.org; Sat, 21 Sep 2019 22:23:39 -0400 Received: from Debian-exim by eggs.gnu.org with spam-scanned (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1iBrXE-0006TD-Q1 for libreplanet-discuss@libreplanet.org; Sat, 21 Sep 2019 22:23:38 -0400 Received: from d.mail.sonic.net ([64.142.111.50]:59102) by eggs.gnu.org with esmtps (TLS1.0:DHE_RSA_AES_128_CBC_SHA1:16) (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1iBrXE-0006Sl-I3 for libreplanet-discuss@libreplanet.org; Sat, 21 Sep 2019 22:23:36 -0400 Received: from webmail.sonic.net (webmail.a.apps.sonic.net [64.142.109.105]) (authenticated bits=0) by d.mail.sonic.net (8.15.1/8.15.1) with ESMTPA id x8M2NX1E016612; Sat, 21 Sep 2019 19:23:33 -0700 MIME-Version: 1.0 Date: Sat, 21 Sep 2019 19:23:33 -0700 From: Thomas Lord To: Libreplanet Discussion list In-Reply-To: <8fb8a3bab80c85ec8b67de3c32a9d36e@basiscraft.com> References: <8fb8a3bab80c85ec8b67de3c32a9d36e@basiscraft.com> Message-ID: <3974226bce23b3269083126afd1b5c28@basiscraft.com> User-Agent: Roundcube Webmail/1.3.10 X-Sonic-Auth: TtOJH7qxEijHhHQetLlSTCZs2CpeBYW3Vnne/JhHKqgG6nN4Ntcv+0FbrtOwnz24S/A4tNFswD8JDzk6YM0CuNbPCk47y8qjaeaMurxZoNY= X-Sonic-CAuth: UmFuZG9tSVb8Ct8QRMrv47Jec2a12/AFfBo0Ds83EvNEW/1MRfCx9DsrRHO/4Vn4efRHjHxyg+KI5B6ZUWyoSwH+1au1mdH/ziSVE9wOPbc= X-Sonic-ID: C;4LyJ+d/c6RGQK9opn23GFg== M;2F2M+d/c6RGQK9opn23GFg== X-Sonic-Spam-Details: 0.0/5.0 by cerberusd X-detected-operating-system: by eggs.gnu.org: GNU/Linux 3.x X-Received-From: 64.142.111.50 X-Content-Filtered-By: Mailman/MimeDel 2.1.23 Subject: Re: climate change, libre software, FSF mgt. X-BeenThere: libreplanet-discuss@libreplanet.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.23 Precedence: list List-Id: List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Content-Type: multipart/mixed; boundary="===============4752984628355529929==" Errors-To: libreplanet-discuss-bounces+e=80x24.org@libreplanet.org Sender: "libreplanet-discuss" --===============4752984628355529929== Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="=_334d2a28fa97a1032ae8311c721a86a5" --=_334d2a28fa97a1032ae8311c721a86a5 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable X-MIME-Autoconverted: from 8bit to quoted-printable by d.mail.sonic.net id x8M2NX1E016612 To what I wrote earlier, and considering the standpoint of designers of "complete systems", their capacities, and their UX: It would be an error to try to continue to try to "keep up" with the craptastic 2019 WWW, social media, etc. For example, an overly fancy web browser is not likely all that important a priority, though sure Firefox is nice to have around. And a distributed decentralized replacement for twitter or facebook or whatever the hell seems incredibly unimportant. Simple things might plausibly include a return to distributed and decentralized email, "net news" (of one form or another), and very basic website-type-things. And good tools for doing math, maintaining simple databases etc -- but again, not trying to replicate and keep up with craptastic commercial offerings. Just some basics. Easy to hack. Easy to deploy and teach. Well documented. etc. An alternative imaginary of the role of software in society. -t=20 On 2019-09-21 19:17, Thomas Lord wrote: > For the purpose of envelope calculations about the climate emergency, t= he world is emitting the equivalent of about 40 billion metric tons of CO= =E2=82=82 per year.=20 >=20 > According to the 2018 U.N. IPCC Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5= =C2=B0C (aka IPCC SR15), the global carbon budget remaining to have a pal= try 2 in 3 chance of keeping long term warming not higher than 1.5=C2=B0C= over pre-industrial levels, assuming some natural carbon-emitting feedba= cks such as wildfires, is perhaps a mere equivalent of 240 billion metric= s tons of CO=E2=82=82 as of 1 / 1 / 2020.=20 >=20 > Therefore, that means that at the present rate of emissions, we will ex= haust the emissions budget in about 6 years. We don't have "12 years to = save the planet" and a "green new deal" is nowhere near the kind of effor= t needed.=20 >=20 > Drastic reductions of emissions appear logistically possible, but requi= re huge change in our social systems of production and distribution -- a = real struggle both practically and "politically".=20 >=20 > Libre software, it seems to me, is an invaluable tool to help people gl= obally communicate in spite of social media companies, and globally coord= inate and cooperate around the kinds of fast, drastic reforms needed to r= educe emissions.=20 >=20 > To me, this suggests the Free Software Movement's highest priority ough= t to be simple, well documented, easily forked and hacked (even if minima= list) complete systems -- successfully deployed into the hands of many m= illions of people who not only get software freedom, but who understand i= t and usefully exercise it. We need to leverage the adaptability of soft= ware to help our global adaptation to the climate emergency and the need = to shut down emissions very quickly. >=20 > The movement is nowhere near that level of individual use or that level= of exercise of the freedom to hack and share. =20 >=20 > Little else matters, in the short and medium term than to fix this. >=20 > I don't presume to know what this implies for the future of RMS, any pa= rticular software project, etc. >=20 > But I think it is where focus belongs -- including that, ideally, the F= SF would be swiftly and radically reformed into an org that actually cent= ered deploying useful software freedom as an urgent task -- a focus that = is palpably, painfully absent from the current efforts of its all too "pr= ofessional" executive staff.=20 >=20 > -t --=_334d2a28fa97a1032ae8311c721a86a5 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" To what I wrote earlier, and considering the standpoint of designers of "complete systems", their capacities, and their UX: It would be an error to try to continue to try to "keep up" with the craptastic 2019 WWW, social media, etc. For example, an overly fancy web browser is not likely all that important a priority, though sure Firefox is nice to have around. And a distributed decentralized replacement for twitter or facebook or whatever the hell seems incredibly unimportant. Simple things might plausibly include a return to distributed and decentralized email, "net news" (of one form or another), and very basic website-type-things. And good tools for doing math, maintaining simple databases etc -- but again, not trying to replicate and keep up with craptastic commercial offerings. Just some basics. Easy to hack. Easy to deploy and teach. Well documented. etc. An alternative imaginary of the role of software in society. -t On 2019-09-21 19:17, Thomas Lord wrote: For the purpose of envelope calculations about the climate emergency, the world is emitting the equivalent of about 40 billion metric tons of CO₂ per year. According to the 2018 U.N. IPCC Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C (aka IPCC SR15), the global carbon budget remaining to have a paltry 2 in 3 chance of keeping long term warming not higher than 1.5°C over pre-industrial levels, assuming some natural carbon-emitting feedbacks such as wildfires, is perhaps a mere equivalent of 240 billion metrics tons of CO₂ as of 1 / 1 / 2020. Therefore, that means that at the present rate of emissions, we will exhaust the emissions budget in about 6 years. We don't have "12 years to save the planet" and a "green new deal" is nowhere near the kind of effort needed. Drastic reductions of emissions appear logistically possible, but require huge change in our social systems of production and distribution -- a real struggle both practically and "politically". Libre software, it seems to me, is an invaluable tool to help people globally communicate in spite of social media companies, and globally coordinate and cooperate around the kinds of fast, drastic reforms needed to reduce emissions. To me, this suggests the Free Software Movement's highest priority ought to be simple, well documented, easily forked and hacked (even if minimalist) complete systems -- successfully deployed into the hands of many millions of people who not only get software freedom, but who understand it and usefully exercise it. We need to leverage the adaptability of software to help our global adaptation to the climate emergency and the need to shut down emissions very quickly. The movement is nowhere near that level of individual use or that level of exercise of the freedom to hack and share. Little else matters, in the short and medium term than to fix this. I don't presume to know what this implies for the future of RMS, any particular software project, etc. But I think it is where focus belongs -- including that, ideally, the FSF would be swiftly and radically reformed into an org that actually centered deploying useful software freedom as an urgent task -- a focus that is palpably, painfully absent from the current efforts of its all too "professional" executive staff. -t --=_334d2a28fa97a1032ae8311c721a86a5-- --===============4752984628355529929== Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Transfer-Encoding: base64 Content-Disposition: inline X19fX19fX19fX19fX19fX19fX19fX19fX19fX19fX19fX19fX19fX19fX19fX18KbGlicmVwbGFu ZXQtZGlzY3VzcyBtYWlsaW5nIGxpc3QKbGlicmVwbGFuZXQtZGlzY3Vzc0BsaWJyZXBsYW5ldC5v cmcKaHR0cHM6Ly9saXN0cy5saWJyZXBsYW5ldC5vcmcvbWFpbG1hbi9saXN0aW5mby9saWJyZXBs YW5ldC1kaXNjdXNz --===============4752984628355529929==--