RE: [-empyre-] Re: Jon, loungelab's transparency

["Jim Andrews" <jim@vispo.com>]

It's pretty weird, all right.

I think part of the value of open source to those who write it is as 'research cred'. If you
publish your source and it is actually respected, then not only have you created a (hopefully)
interesting artwork but you have published the underlying research. If you are an artist, then
you can cash in on that in terms of grants and perhaps teaching and, if you want, in the pro biz
concerning whatever art or engineering area or whatever the associated biz is.

Was it here that someone made the analogy with open source and folk art? I think maybe it was in
a paper I read by Loss Glazier. The analogy being that in folk art it is common practice to take
bits and pieces of stuff from previous pieces and tack them together into a new piece.

That needn't be the way with open source stuff; you may get something like a general technique
or an algorithm rather than something  more 'substantial'.

Maybe, to redirect the question further, it's the economic model of folk art (whatever that is,
if there is one).

ja

> hey tahnx everyone for the great discussion so far..
> im interrested, that in all of this no one has mentioned the underlying
> stuctures that make opensource itself or a festival like back up possible..
> (or if it was i missed it..)
>
> opensource is a fabulous  concept but i wonder bout its sustainability..and
> the financal structure or funding.. who pays for open art to be created, who
> gets paid to use opensouce software made by other people who do it for
> free.. etc etc
>
> i guess its an ethical concern.. i use an opensorce multiuser server and
> interface code that ive paid others to modify..  i get paid nominal amounts
> (realy tiny useally compared to the work involved) to have the work shown in
> festivals(even tho its always availabe on the net) yet i dont pass any
> percentage of that income back to the orginal makers of the code..  tho the
> modifed code is available for anyone else to use if they want to ..
>
> this may seem liek a wierd abds slightly offtopic question.. but its one
> that i puzzle about and useally people dont seem to discuss it..eg why did
> linus torvolds win a prize at ars electronica a few years ago.. why not give
> money to many unknown people who developed linux in thier own time for no
> personal gain.
>
> melinda