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Should Public Policy Support Open-Source Software?



The American Prospect, a liberal rag on-line, is hosting a roundtable
discussion on Open Source Software and Public Policy which features Open
Source advocate and 2nd Ammendment extremist Eric Raymond (as read in our
Open Sources readings) going head to head (almost literally) with Larry
Lessig, author of "Code and other laws of cyberspace," who advocates a
place for government in cyberspace but who has opposed the copyright
extension (DMCA 1998) and encouraged the Microsoft breakup. While there
are other voices at the roundtable, these two are the strongest and most
amusing. The younger Lessig gives little quarter to Raymond -- much as he
gave little to Declan McCullagh in the "Code" book. Reading this
discussion may not duplicate a desirable undergraduate experience, but the
reading will make you much smarter if not more amused at the minds at work
there. Yes most all of our class issues are touched on there and even the
'free market' is questioned and praised.

http://www.prospect.org/controversy/open_source

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                             Paul Jones
   "We must protect our precious bodily fluids!" General Jack D Ripper
http://MetaLab.unc.edu/pjones/ at the Site Formerly Known As SunSITE.unc.edu
  pjones@MetaLab.unc.edu   voice: (919) 962-7600     fax: (919) 962-8071 
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