By making creative output - writing, music, software - free, we are transferring power to a handful of intellectual property owners.
The core of the industrial revolution was a transfer of power away from distributed communities to a handful of industrialists.
In the 17-1800s, common land was taken from communities; without a way to live independently, they became industrial factory workers.
Encouraging individuals to give everything away for free is a great way to give large companies a sustainable competitive advantage.
You can't solve the #redecentralize / #indieweb problem without figuring out where the money is coming from.
We don't live in a magical Star Trek post-money society, nor is a universal basic income an alternative (although it's a great safety net).
Some startups capture value by providing access to a market or demographic via advertising. I think direct revenue is a more ethical route.
Creating a business when you're not capturing value is impossible. Unless you're independently wealthy, you have to make money to survive.
Startups, like any business, are built to make money by concretely solving a problem for people who will pay for a solution.
Speaking of Doctor Who, I'd be a little careful of that water on Mars.
Yes, avant grade. It's a little stronger than normcore grade.
@joepemberton (Which is not to say that I don't think religious groups can or should have a role)
@joepemberton I don't think it should be a monopoly or get in the way - but it does have a protective role. I'd rather govmt than religion.
@joepemberton Government has an infrastructure (and regulatory) role to play. But yeah: enable everyone to work together.
@funnymonkey Bernie Sanders has been actively pro net neutrality and individual privacy.
@mattl @robmyers @amanicdroid At the time in Edinburgh it was hard to find an ATM that would take my English debit card, so, y'know.
@mattl @robmyers @amanicdroid They withdrew it after a year. I think over time it could have been decent.
@mattl @robmyers @amanicdroid Slightly temperamental chip, but more importantly, you could only use it in two places on campus.
@robmyers @mattl @amanicdroid I made that joke in 1997 and nobody understood it :'(
Mondex was piss-awful in actual use btw ;)
@chrisamccoy @vgr Both. The best was 15 Million Merits; hoping for more in that vein. Brooker is one of my heroes, and can be sharp as hell.
I'm really enjoying reading the @Urbit_ documentation, & I'd love to use the platform. It's good to see new ideas with a different approach.
Sadly, it's still a development framework. It'll save me time, but it's not an accessible heir to what Pioes did.
@fmanjoo Importantly: it happens in America *all the time*. This isn't a one-off.
@erinjo I think that one would apply to Spongebob Squarepants and basically nobody else.
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