On the Barricades of a Free Internet

A few months ago, a casual conversation at GobGob unexpectedly turned to the topic of free software and the internet. I can’t recall the entire discussion word-for-word, but I’ll try to paraphrase the core ideas expressed by one of GobGob’s co-editors: Open source has lost. It’s too complex, unwelcoming, and nobody cares anymore. We need to admit it. People are on platforms, they want simple services, and platforms deliver. That’s just the reality.

I wanted to argue, but honestly, I couldn’t muster the strength to die with dignity on the debate barricades for a better internet and free software. I stood there silently, stunned by the decisiveness and certainty with which these ideas were presented. And of course, haunted by a nagging question: Am I the one refusing to face the truth?

Months have passed, and I’m still pondering. Is it time to call it quits on copyleft, free software, and a decentralized democratic internet?

Full text available at GobGob.org.