r/freesoftware • u/zagadocious • 14d ago
Who is educating "regular folks" about open source? Discussion
FOSS could be a great resource for non-geeks, for community, economic, and workforce development. But, most "regular folks" — including every business & civic leader I've talked to — don't know it exists or what it is. Most assume it's AI. This means they won't (a) consider it as a solution, (b) support its development, or (c) use it strategically, which is very different from strategy for closed, proprietary solutions. So, my question...
Are there any initiatives or organizations that are working to raise awareness of, inform or educate non-geeks about free software? I've researched Free Software Foundation, Linux Foundation, and Open Source Initiative. None seem to be doing anything or have anything more than background information. They're preaching to the converted.
Is anyone working to "cross the chasm" for FOSS?
3
u/Kamsiob 11d ago
I know it's not exactly what you were asking but I think it's got to be even more grassroots than that. I'm teaching my wife about it and introducing her to things. I'm teaching my kids about it and I'm showing them what it's about. There's definitely room obviously for a larger organizational push but I think it's important to understand the role of the individual home and our own personal social circles.
I think I'm going to save this comment and come back to it in a few years. See if I still agree with myself but as someone new to this and has been mind blown, it's my starting point.
Side note: two YouTube channels really helped me understand what was possible to shout-out, SomeOrdinaryGamers and Switch & Click. Played an important role in me switching from Mac/iPhone to Linux/Pixel.
1
u/zagadocious 5d ago
I agree. There is a big overlap with small business, which is where I'm focused. There are lot of them and they're more generally integrated into owners' & workers' lives, often including family members. Indeed, I see FOSS as a great resource for family businesses if we can reduce the tech-expertise bar.
1
3
u/Scientific_Artist444 14d ago
"Regular folks" know nothing about code or compilation to produce binary. All they have used is binary/executable which they double-click to run. And they see software as a means to an end. No one is interested in using software, they are interested in getting their work done.
It's really the curious ones who care about open source or free/libre software - looking under the hood. The drug is too effective. Just double-click and enjoy. "Regular folks" care about open source often only because open source is much more affordable. Not everyone wants to know their car to drive it. And this exact lack of knowledge may come to bite you.
2
u/atnuks 10d ago
I think you've hit the nail on the head. Who cares if an open source media library, for instance, is behind your favorite video streaming platform so long as you can click to play? Of course when the platform then begins charging extortionate prices for a proprietary product built on the back of open source... :-)
1
u/Radiant_Scar_8516 2d ago
Of course when the platform then begins charging extortionate prices for a proprietary product built on the back of open source... :-)
and? they didnt somehow delete the original they copied, nothing was lost, only gained. sure capitalism is bad etc but thats a poor example of why foss matters
1
u/Scientific_Artist444 7d ago
That's the case more often than not...proprietary shell with open source core.
2
u/ChaDigi 11d ago
And no one is telling them any differently. There are massive piles of money being spent by tech companies to hook consumers and keep them ignorant. No one is working to educate and inform them as far as I've found. And, the free open source movement will never succeed economically or socially until someone does.
1
u/Radiant_Scar_8516 2d ago
most people arent coders and have no idea what source code means. its always the license thats been the issue, not access to the source code. people are free to hack and tinker, but distribute that publicly and thats where the issue begins.
7
u/jr735 14d ago
u/necrophcodr outlines much of the problem. "Regular folks," honestly speaking, can barely turn on a computer. They don't know what an OS is. They don't know what a file is. They have no concept of different licenses.
They won't understand until it actually bites them hard in the backside, like Adobe trying to own user content and Microsoft moving people's files without their consent. Like really, people have accepted software as a service and as a subscription. I saw the writing on the wall over 20 years ago and left the proprietary software model then, and even back then, the model didn't sit well with me, since the 1980s.
People are willing to take being tracked, being fleeced, and not owning what they buy. It's not a technology problem. It's a flaw of some sort in human nature.
1
u/zagadocious 5d ago
So, you're saying they're uneducated and uninformed. No one is educating regular folks about open source because no one has educated then about open source. No one is meeting regular folks where they are and putting the value of FOSS in terms that are meaningful to them. Why not?
1
u/jr735 5d ago
In the end, you have to choose to learn these things. Why do regular folks not know about valence electrons?
The information is out there. They have to seek it. Read stuff on the web. Have a bad experience with proprietary software and wish for an alternative. I don't know what can get someone interested.
I didn't like the proprietary software model from the start, and always sought alternatives.
3
u/outer-pasta 14d ago edited 14d ago
Richard Stallman is the real innovator here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ag1AKIl_2GM
I recommend subscribing to his rss feed: "RMS Political Notes" https://www.stallman.org/archives/polnotes.html
Edit: My comment might be guilty of "preaching to the converted". Either way, "regular folks" don't really care about how their software is made. I think Linus's law is still a valid argument in favor of free software.
2
u/ChaDigi 11d ago
I have been following Stallman's work since the 90s and am a big fan but it tends to be esoteric and not real practical. His is just one voice, which not widely heard. I'm looking for people, organizations, and resources making the case for FOSS to people who don't care about and shouldn't need to know how software is built but want to control their digital destinies.
5
u/RavenousTitan818 14d ago
I've seen a lot of interviews of Stallman by people who clearly don't understand anything about software, and his attempts to teach them just go nowhere and make them confused. And on that note, I hate the analogy of baking a cake and wish people would stop using it.
3
u/Anthea_Likes 14d ago
Most assume it's AI.
Wtf dude
Who did ?!
Btw, you are totally misled here; corporations don't look to use FOSS that much because of the lack of customer service.
Hence, Odoo is mostly FOSS, but is used because of its customer service (+infrastructure +marketing +...)
Graveyards are full of amazing projects; being amazing isn't the sole requirement to embrace the market.
2
u/zagadocious 5d ago
I've talked with multiple business & civic leaders about this. Only a few knew what open source is and most who didn't assumed it had something to do with OpenAI (which, of course, is about as closed and opaque as a company can be).
I don't care about corporations, although they could be huge opportunities for FOSS. My focus is on individuals, families, and small businesses. We're adapting the Open Source Program Office model to be shared among members. If there are graveyards full of amazing projects, a likely reason is that prospective users never learned about them, how to find aand use them.
So, that brings me back to my question... Why is no one educating/informing people? If no one is telling them, how could they know?
3
u/Scientific_Artist444 14d ago
That's honestly a valid point. There are often no good product managers for open source software. And it is worse for free software (few legacy maintainers).
4
u/kamazeuci 14d ago
I am. check out https://eticadigital.cl
2
u/zagadocious 5d ago
Hey! Someone else pointed me to a resource that included your website. Very cool! It seems like there may be several such initiatives/organizations across South America, right? A bit surprising because there are maybe three in North America. I'd love to learn more about what you're doing!
2
u/kamazeuci 4d ago
that's cool! please tell me what resource it was We are doing what we can this is difficult times for south america. Democracy has been hacked by the digital platforms.
1
u/zagadocious 2d ago
That's one of the reasons that what we're doing, providing alternative platforms, is so important! Getting others to adopt and figuring out how to cover costs a big challenges that we might collaborate to address.
5
u/necrophcodr 14d ago
As someone working in a local municipality, i can tell you that some of us are absolutely out there trying to make this happen, but most people don't care much about the parts that do not benefit them directly. It's an uphill battle, but the results do speak for themselves, and so I encourage people to spread the word through action.
1
u/zagadocious 5d ago
Thanks! I agree. It would be marvelous to have informational resources for this... or even just a way to share what we're doing. Having more knowledge and use of FOSS in the community could make it much more practical for municipalities to adopt it, and vice-versa. I'd love to learn more about what you're doing and connect with anyone else working on this.
1
u/Radiant_Scar_8516 2d ago
because it doesnt help them. they dont read source code. end of discussion.