[extropy-chat] In defense of slashdotters (was transhumanism == militant fascism)

[Jacob]

Samantha Atkins wrote:

> I do not concur.  RS and Perens both believe strongly in the right of
> creators to decide how to offer their creation.  They believe that
> non-open software is more or less immoral but not that everyone should
> be forced to offer their software creations under licenses of their
> liking.  Besides, the issue from an extropian viewpoint is one of what
> forms of licensing of what kinds of software under what circumstances
> expand extropy.   That this or that original light or exponent of
> Free/Open Software has opinions distasteful to some of us is not
> terribly important.

I concurred based on the idea that slashdotters typically are a diverse
crowd, not necessarily based on the licenses that are supported on
there.  I confess to be somewhat new to extropy and this list.  I am
curious as to what opinions are present on here on the issue of
licensing/patents/IP etc...  My experience has mainly been centered
around the computing industry in general, and Linux/open source
specifically, and not necessarily focused on transhumanism, though it's
very quickly becoming a topic of interest for me.

> I am often surprised by the gibbering monkey chatter level and the
> seeming serious level of ignorance.  I am also surprised to encounter
> a lot of young geeks who seem to have not a clue of how fast
> technology is changing the world and  possess no positive vision (to
> say the least).    It seems to be uncool to dream and seek to make the
> dream real.

Exactly.  I spent a brief time in nature centric preoccupations, which
denied things such as technology and transhumanism.  Having quickly lost
my interest, i went back to computers and quickly realized the conundrum
of being technologically oriented and at the same time being
anti-technology minded.  The far better response would be to find
rational solutions to advance mankind rather than be controlled by an
irrational fear.

--Jacob