Free Voices FROM The Digital Fields A Social Research on in and the Caribbean Lena Zúñiga Centro Internacional de Investigaciones para el Desarrollo www.bellanet.org www.idrc.ca

Bellanet Internacional Créditos: Latin American & Caribbean Office Spanish Text Revision: Adriana Sánchez /[email protected] Publication Document Illustrations: Adián “El Bota” González / [email protected] With the support of IDRC’s ICT4D Americas Layout: Dynamo Interactiva / [email protected] Lena Zúñiga and research team Editorial Coordination: José Pablo Molina / [email protected] August, 2006 Translated from Spanish by Juan Ignacio Salom / [email protected] Rebeca Carvajal / [email protected]

Attribution Non-commercial Share Alike 2.5 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/deed.en_CA CONTENTS About this publication 4 Preface The role of the Co mmunity in the Free So ftware Ecosystem 6 Mario Teza Acknowledgments 9 FREE VOICES FROM THE DIGITAL FIELDS A Social Research on Free Software in Latin America and the Caribbean 11 Lena Zúñiga The Research Process: Two Years Of Learned Lessons 12 Main Findings in the Investigation 26 • Conditions for Software Appropriation in LAC 34 • Free Software Based Initiatives 40 • Frere Software as a Developing Tool in Social Organizations 44 • Free Software experiences in Government 48

COMPLEMENTARY ANALYSIS 53 Building the GNU Project: Ututo 100% Free 55 A case study of an Argentinian GNU/ distribution* Stéphane Couture Free Software in Latin America 72 Socio-political Organization of the Community* Beatriz Busaniche Concepts and Debates on Freedom of Knowledge and Free Software 88 Diego Saravia The Case of Free Soft ware in Mexico 112 Blossoming from the Stones José Luis Chiquete ABOUT this publication

ur Research on Free Software This material hopes to present our learning expe- in Latin America and the Cari- riences and state some questions to trigger further bbean began in September 2003, studies. We have not included all the information sponsored by the International compiled during the process, nor its sources. No- DevelopmentO Research Center’s (IDRC) America netheless, all this information is available for its Information and Communication Technologies use and reproduction. for Development Department (ICT4D). During the last two years (until May 2006) we were devoted The text is organized as follows: first, we wanted to discovering, inhabiting and trying to unders- to account for these two years of research expe- tand the networks that are formed around Free rience, with a social perspective, in collaboration Software in the region with counterparts from different countries in the region (with very different ideas and experien- This publication represents the conclusion of a ces). social research process filled with experiences, data, distinct products and diverse voices, con- Next, we summarize the most important findings troversial, hopeful and sometimes contradictory. and most provocative clues we came across during

 Voces libres de los campos digitales the process. This is a synthesis of the conclusions All results and material are published under a of the research, an interpretation supported by Creative Commons non-commercial, equal- sha- the compiled data and the opinions of those in- ring license. We hope that the data and material terviewed on what Free Software is and what it may be useful for building other interpretations is transformed into, applied to Latin America and and triggering new questions. If there is some- the Caribbean. thing to learn on the topic of Free Software, it’s that innovation and knowledge are nurtured by Finally, other authors reinforce this point of view common work, joint effort and the freedom of from their own experience, after reading the creating from personal experience. Research’s Final Report. Stephane Couture, from the University of Quebec at Montreal, presents a case study on the UTUTO project. Beatriz Busani- che, from the Vía Libre Organization in , extends a critical view on the results and presents her own proposal. Diego Saravia, from the Univer- sity of Salta in Argentina, discusses the key topics that, according to his criteria, are currently being discussed in the Free Software community. José Luis Chiquete from the Mexican Association of Free Software, comments on the situation of the com- munity in his country. Mario Teza, from Projecto Software Livre , gives us his viewpoint... This book is enclosed with a broad report on re- sults, containing much more details on each of the aspects analyzed during the research, which are included in the attached CD. The CD also con- tains an Alfa-Redi Organization study on Legal Environments for Free Software in the region, a data analysis from the Gender variable, supported by some experiences in women’s Free Software Groups, and a thorough PSL-Brazil community case study. We have also included an Annex file with the interviews, audio files and photographs compiled during the process. For the inexperienced reader on the Free Software concept, we recommend first reading the concep- tual exploration we did at the beginning of the research, a short and basic document available in digital format.

Voces libres de los campos digitales  Preface The role of the Community in the Free Software Ecosystem Mario Teza

Everybody gives what they receive And then receives what they give Nothing simpler No other norm Nothing is lost Everything is transformed a Everything is Transformed - Jorge Drexler

he research of Free Software in Latin figure, the investigation contributes to the im- America and the Caribbean focuses on provement in understanding this phenomenon, the main protagonist in the FS ecosys- which intrigues academics, great corporations and tem: the community. Upon deciding to even the traditional media: Who is it? Why does it deepenT the study around this almost amorphous mobilize? Where is it going?

 Voces libres de los campos digitales The role of the Community in the • ·•The Elucidated Egotistic: The problem of sus- Free Software Ecosystem tainability (A.E. Ben Bela): the golf course and the favela; The Free Software Ecosystem is under construc- tion. In the future, it will deserve deeper studies. • ·•The idea that free software and hacker ethics Today we are interested in underlining that in this could constitute a new ethical paradigm. huge and colorful mosaic made up by scientific According to Bustamante, when the amount of investigation, private enterprises, governments, interactions increases, the level of collabora- legislations and, ICT users in general, the Com- tion between strategies also grows: “In normal munity has a fundamental role. The community conditions, egotistic strategies are beneficial in researched in this publication congregates free short term, while collaborative structures become software users and developers. successful in the long run.” It is necessary to have Free Software feeds itself on the synergy of all “critical volume” for a collaborative structure to these entities, and others. To help understand flourish. Internet popularization and global access this, let’s imagine for a moment that the com- to the web have allowed free software to reach its munity is inexistent in this process. There would present “critical volume”. certainly be scientific research, but who would ap- Bustamante continues: “for a neutral observer it ply it: there would be private enterprises that live becomes impossible to distinguish a genuinely for/from Free Software but in a smaller amount; altruistic strategy from an egotistic collaboration. governments would have very few free solutions; It is perfectly possible to find diverse points of the number of users, in general, would be mini- balance where collaboration is not total and still mum. Thanks to the Free Software Community the population remains stable. Collaborative stra- the world has alternatives in the array of ICTs. tegies increase the possible arrival of new colla- The benefits in sharing borators.” Finally, Bustamante indicates the behavior cha- Spanish Philosopher Javier Bustamante develops racteristics for a strategies success an interesting line of research attempts to elu- cidate on the phenomenon of the Free Software :Kindness: never the first to betray. Community. He develops the idea of making duty Retaliation: betraying only if the opponent betrays. and interest converge. He supports his vision based on: Forgiveness: having a short term memory (an in- teraction). • •The Game Theory (J. Von Neuman, O. Morgens- tern, 1944): human interaction model; Not being envious: not worrying about making more than the opponent, but minding overall value. • ·•The Rational School Theory (R.S.T.) (J. Harsanvi, 1976): parametrical and strategic environments; Clarity: opponents understand quickly that for gaining many points they must cooperate. • ·•The Prisoner’s Dilemma: How to justify colla- boration (Amartya Sen, J. Elsten, D. Porfitt, D. Strength: the strategy adapts well to an array of Gauthier); environments.

Voces libres de los campos digitales  Stability: no strategy can invade an environment million dollars destined to pay more than 14 thou- dominated by a collaborative strategy (TFT) sand per year to developers. Viability: beginning with a small number of par- MS-Windows 2000 has 35 million code lines. ticipants in a collaborative strategy (TFT), these, Ms-Windows XP has 40 million code lines.” collaborating with each other, can control the milieu.  Conclusion The “Result” of sharing Free Software is not synonymous of Costless Software. The research takes detail into this In a recent study, (Taurian C., 2005) it wasproved concept. For now, it’s enough to consider that how much it would cost to have a collaborative de- software codes must be free, shared. velopment supposing it was based in a traditional development model. The results are notable, and At the time of this publication, the growth of the maybe explain why ICTs open more and more to Mozilla Firefox free Internet browser will be big the Free Software option. If philosophical reasons news in specialized sites. Every month, this brow- are still not attractive enough, competitive assets ser catches a piece in the universe of users world- offered by this technological option are not only wide. A few years ago, Netscape, the company tempting but irresistible. that owned the original code, lost the browser race to Microsoft. Before the Netscape code fell “The RedHat Linux 7.1 free distribution has more into oblivion of technology history, the company than 30 million code lines and would cost more decided to make it available to the Free Software than a billion dollars to develop, having to pay de- Community. velopers more than 8 thousand per year. Here one must say: “Everything that is not given is lost.”” Debian GNU/Linux 2.2 free distribution has more than 55 million code lines and would cost 1900

 Web Reference  Web Reference  Web Reference

 Voces libres de los campos digitales Acknowledgments

f everyone responsible for the results of this work Team, for support that sometimes went beyond were mentioned then it would risk this material their own possibilities, for their flexibility and vi- Ibecoming too long. Anyway, thank you: sion of future. Especially to our program’s official Angélica Ospina, for being a fundamental part of To the Free Software Community in Latin America the research through her conceptual and metho- and the Caribbean, everyone who believes in Free dological guide, her good moods and the relatio- Software as an intellectual challenge, an oppor- nship of respect and trust that we were able to tunity for the development of the region or a key build. to freedom of knowledge. Thanks for opening up Not just an acknowledgment but also an applause your spaces, trusting us your data and for writing to the counterparts group in the region, the re- this investigation with your life and words. search group that participated in the methodolo- To TIC-D Americas and the IDRC Administrative gical and instrumental conception and used their

Voces libres de los campos digitales  networks and local mechanisms for capturing to LabCMO at UQAM in Montréal. data. These people and organizations also gave To the authors who contributed to this publication us their friendship and put their spaces and work with their articles: Beatriz Busaniche, Diego Sara- force to our disposal, giving us much more than via, José Luis Chiquete and Mario Teza. what we could give in return. La Neta in México, especially Adolfo Duyanevich and Olinca Marino. To León Coto, for developing the complementary Bayardo Rivas in . Funredes in Domini- project LaLibreta.net can Republic and Taran Rampersad somewhere To the administrative and logistics team at the in the Caribbean. Erick Iriarte at Alfa-Redi in the Fundación Acceso in . Andes Region, Erick Baez in , the SOLAR team in Argentina, Fernando Maresca in Argentina and To the Bellanet Team in Canada, Nepal and Ugan- the Asociación Software Livre in Brazil, especially da, who participated directly or indirectly in cons- Denise Bandeira and Loimar Vianna. tructing the global sense maintained throughout this research, especially Ricardo Gómez, who To PSL-Mulheres, LinuxChix, Gnurias and all the promoted this research, and Sarah Kerr who was women that gave us their time, facts and support. a constant support to the project. Thanks to project UTUTO and its members, as well as the PSL-Brazil leaders. To the people who revised, diagramed, illustrated and translated this publication. To everyone interviewed in every Latin American and some European countries, for their time and I want to specially thank the work team at the willingness to speak to our team. Sulá Batsú Cooperative in Costa Rica, who with all their heart worked hard and followed the whole To Verónica Xhardez, who completely committed development process of the research, especially to this work and many times put aside her perso- Margarita Salas for her great contribution in the nal interests to support the project with her work topic of Gender, José Pablo Molina for his invalua- and dedication. ble last minute help, and Kemly Camacho for her To Stephane Couture for his technical and concep- great aptitude for conceiving, inspiring, negotia- tual support throughout the whole research and ting, leading and defending this dream. completion of deep insightful case studies, but To everyone, thank you for understanding hope in especially for reminding me of utopias and infu- unrestricted common knowledge. sing me confidence in the results. This acknowled- gment extends to the workgroup at Koumbit and

10 Voces libres de los campos digitales FREE VOICES from THE DIGITAL FIELDS A Social Research on Free Software in Latin America and the Caribbean Lena Zúñiga THE RESEARCH PROCESS: TWO the initial support, but also constant YEARS OF LEARNED LESSONS guidance and fundamental feedback during every stage of the process. The he Bellanet’s Office for Latin commitment went much further than America and the Caribbean just economical resources, where they creation was hosted within the contributed through their experience Acceso Foundation in Costa and joint vision on the region, which TRica in 2003. Both organizations were was a great asset to the work. attempting to create with this office an alliance based on common objectives and an extensive experience on Information First approaches, motivations and Communication Technologies, and objectives hoping to generate dialogue, to learn Initially, many of the motivations and improve competence in social and expectations were laid on the organizations. table. The topic was evidently very The interest for carrying out social broad. One of the main interests was research on the subject of Free Software to understand how networks and originated from this overlapping communities organized around Free between investigative social- Software function, and how inclusion participative experience, and the work and exclusion relationships in these with Free Software tools that Bellanet networks operate. On the other hand, hadha been doing on a technical level with we were interested in the interaction applicationsapplicatio on development matters. between these networks and social BellanetBellanet hahadd also worked on “open organizations and other development standards”standards” and “open content”, which actors, and how Free Software could conformedconformed ononee of its progprogramming have an impact on the living conditions fields. Additionally, KemlyKe of the underprivileged groups of Camacho had been doing social the region. Another orientation was researchresearch on thethe impact of towtowards understanding what would be thethe InInternetternet on ththee sosocialcial ththe approach of diverse sectors on the organizations in Central Free Software topic and which could America. be the common agendas and necessary contributions to trigger the usage and The research researchpr projectoject was waspr presentedesented to ICT4D Americas (from(from thet development of Free Software. CanadianCanadian InInternationalternational ReResearchsea Motivations came from working with CenterCenter foforr Development), anandd after different perspectives regarding what jointly enhancing the proposal, it was Information and Communication determined to executexecutee the process. Technologies mean in terms of FromFrom ICICT4DT4D AmAmericaser the economical and social development in research team receivereceived not only Latin America and the Caribbean, and Specific Objectives of the Investigation • •Study each of the sectors involved in the software movement of Latin America and the Caribbean- meaning, academic, government and private sectors, civil society, and user groups- their perspective on the subject and interrelations. • •Analyze the situation of underprivileged groups and the gender perspective in the use and development of Free Software and the possibilities of profiting on its advantages to better their living conditions. • •Study the phenomenon in the production, distribution, usage and adoption of Free Soft- ware in Latin America under the lens of economical, political, social and cultural conditio- ns to determine the requirements for capacity and ability development. • •Jointly construct, through research processes, common agendas that allow the streng- thening of the Free Software community for development.

from the terms in which Latin American played by men and women not only in countries are stating their participation this subject or regarding ICT, but in in the so called “Information Society”. everyday life and institutional dynamics According to the initial approach, Free of the countries in the region. Software has characteristics that are A brief identification of key actors identifiable in the ICT appropriation and priority subjects showed a diverse processes, and has a potential for scenario, within which we had to start generating changes not only in the delimiting. At the same time, the research technological tools being used, but in the team became involved in carrying out way these are created and developed. a virtual forum on Free Software in A viewpoint to explore was the Public Administration, organized by role of women in Free Software the Institute for Connectivity in the networks, especially within the Americas in November 2003, where organized user, development, support much of the positions and controversies and empowerment groups. Thethat were handled at the time between incorporation of Investigator Margarita people and organizations involved with Salas to the team was fundamental for the subject became evident. This, paired directing the research in this sense and with a conceptual exploration of the facilitating the obtainment of facts that available bibliography on the subject, did not overlook the difference in roles resulted in the Document “What

Voces libres de los campos digitales 13 we know about Free Software for communities. development in Latin America and the Besides, in developing countries, the Caribbean” published in early 2004. subject of Free Software not only embraces discussions on its business model, but The Approach its security standards, and its usage One of the first challenges of the process possibilities or cost cutbacks. Although was to establish a social approach for the all these discussions are of great relevance, research, because most of the material developing countries face subjects such as available at the time was focused on technological independence, transparency technical or economical aspects of the acts from public administration, good implementation and development of administration and optimization of Free Software or Open Source Code. The development funds, local resources and social issue on network construction was raw material. indeed being considered in other regions, The research was not oriented to define especially from quantitative methods. the Free Software community as a totality, This research, which seeks to carry out an nor to understand what kind of software interactive social one, oriented towards is being developed or used, or what the the transformation of our reality, required technical capabilities that exist in the practically building a whole new approach region are. All of these aspects, undeniably on the subject of Free Software. relevant, are not contemplated within the Regarding the approach on the subject, realm of our study. two main considerations arose: one centered in the technical and human Likewise, the totality of Free Software process from which Free Software is networks couldn’t be covered entirely, not produced. The other one is the potential only because of their broadness, but also of Free Software for social and economic because in some countries and localities the development. We tried to express the idea organizational degree is very scattered and as follows: the identification of networks is an effort that surpasses the project’s possibilities. The collaborative process from which Free Software is produced has a great Working with counterparts and potential for implementing in developing sectors countries. The integral efforts, the community’s asset protection, the user’s To initiate the participative process, freedom to contribute and profit not only we decided to work with counterpart from results but also from the processes, organizations to represent every sub- are elements of a model which could be region. Counterparts, which had complemented with the traditional ways knowledge on the subject, were chosen, of knowledge sharing and applying it to but these also needed to have social change people’s living conditions and research experience, and capabilities

14 Voces libres de los campos digitales to engage their own networks in the sectors. We decided to focus in sectors process of obtaining data and feedback. in order to group the initiatives and perspectives from different viewpoints, Choosing a sole counterpart per sub- but also to formulate common agendas region determined an important which pursued similar interests and delimitation in the outreach of the were more concrete. process. After all, this is a choice in which variables such as opportunity, The integration of this work-group to reliability, affinity in objectives and establish relationships with different political identification have a direct sectors also meant that the research team consequence on the obtained data and became involved in the networking, on information that wouldn’t otherwise therefore, were incorporated into the be easy to access. The counterparts work spaces of several organizations would, of course, have more possibilities and started to contribute with limited of accessing networks which are but increasing experience. Counterparts close to them and would face their were already incorporated into different own limitations regarding countries, spaces and represented different segments and relationships. positions in the existing networks. Another delimitation used from the To form part of “the community” and beginning was in working with specific identify with the ideas that motivate

Counterparts in the region: MEXICO: La Neta. Adolfo Dunayevich. CENTRAL AMERICA: Bayardo Rivas. CARIBBEAN: Funredes. Jochen Plumeyer and Taran Rampersad. ANDES REGION: Alfa-Redi. Erick Iriarte and Fernando Maresca. SOUTH CONE: SOLAR. Verónica Xhardez. BRAZIL: PSL-RS. Denise Bandeira. BELLANET: Lena Zúñiga, Kemly Camacho, Margarita Salas, Sarah Kerr. * The CD attached to this publication includes a brief profile on the counterparts. Sectors: ACADEMIC: Universities, educational systems, educative and formative initiatives. GOVERNMENT: national, local, public institutions and government projects. PRIVATE ENTERPRISE: small and moderate initiatives in different production activities. SOCIAL ORGANIZATIONS: NGO’s, Independent associations or collectives working for eco- nomic and social development. USER AND DEVELOPER GROUPS: identified with Free Software or a particular project..

Voces libres de los campos digitales 15 many people to become part of it also themselves as part of the Free Software affected the approach the research Community. In many occasions the team took on the subject matter and, difference between Free Software and more importantly, to the people, who Open Source Software was not clearly in the end determine structures and distinct, despite their important state ideas. From the team’s perspective, difference in concepts. It was decided this closeness did not represent a to focus the research on the topic of disadvantage. Being close to the groups Free Software and the networks that and networks, providing trust and clarity form around it, without excluding the regarding the intentions of the research participation of Open Source Software was one of its elements of success. projects. “Extracting” data from people and groups The concept of Community was also was not in the interest of the project, but revised many times during the research’s encouraging cooperation to what would development. “Communities” were lead to common results was. initially understood as open and changing networks that form around Key Concepts the projects and initiatives of Free The concepts with which the process Software, integrated by developers, was initiated, were faced and repeatedly users, activists, translators and people submitted to questioning during the in general who are involved in some development of the research. In the manner. At the time of designing the beginning, a bibliographic and general instruments, the actual existence of a conceptual frame review was carried “Community” of Free Software was out following the document “What reconsidered, as was the possibility of we know about Free Software for the people not being necessarily identified development of Latin America and the with that term. In the end it was decided Caribbean”. Later on, it was necessary that it was important to use this key to revise our basic assumptions, and concept to define collaboration with from the in-depth exploration of the a project, using the auto-definition of topics, more resources were added to the majority of the actors, meaning that enrich the concepts. Other elements the actors themselves identify as part in the subjects which need much more of a community. From the first analysis conceptual development were also it became evident that there is not a found. specific Free Software Community The concept of Free Software, for in the region, but it is more a network example, represented an initial of groups with different degrees of problem. During the process of organization, which can have much or revising what had been written in little collaboration and identification the region, it was observed that most in their objectives and operating of the authors or projects referred to methods.

16 Voces libres de los campos digitales While analyzing how these networks thought on this term as well. Some worked and what their objectives were, organizations and actors reject the term mostly those related with changing the “intellectual property”, considering living conditions in their countries, its use perpetuates and confirms the the possibility of studying the Free monopolistic model on knowledge, Software phenomenon as one of the limiting liberty, access and the capacity new social movements undergoing to create and innovate. Part of the work transformation in the region came of these groups has been to reformulate into perspective. Some of the people the idea that knowledge can be in the research team and other people property of one person or business, to in contact considered that Free begin talking about free and common Software was beginning to constitute knowledge. Nevertheless, when a social movement that aimed towards referring to the set of norms and policies changing the conditions through compelling to control and economical which knowledge is accessed, used and value of information, a great number shared. of actors still make generic reference to intellectual property. On this matter, After briefly exploring the definitions it was decided to use the term only in that have been awarded to new social the context in which it was first used movements and their characteristics, by those interviewed. Eliminating this some interesting coincidences were concept form the research would be found. Nonetheless, the foundations of to assume a political position, which this idea were not thoroughly explored. would need more reflection and This topic might be a subject for another research. research, which of course should take into consideration the diversity in To have a clearer idea about the objectives and organizational figures research’s approach, spaces emerged coexisting within the networks of for considering several topics that Free Software. Instead of entering would be key to the orientation of the this discussion, the interest of the interviews and the analysis of the data, project was oriented more towards be it because of the topics’ relation the relationships that Free Software to the work or because of the lack of Groups have established with other relation. For instance, regarding cost cutbacks through Free Software to be social movements in the region, such a constant during the whole process: as initiatives of joint economy and self- a subject packed with controversy and management, digital inclusion groups, very focused on the results of Free feminist groups and art collectives. Software as a tool, but not on the The concept of intellectual property interactions or the participative model was thoroughly discussed by those or the resources (even economical) that we interviewed in the region, which the model could generate. The same made it necessary to review the thing happens with the issue of software

Voces libres de los campos digitales 17 usage, its accessibility, systems’ security, in research on social matters, especially etc., all very important discussions, in a subject in which most integrants which are generally focused on the had worked form a technical optic. The technical aspects of Free Software and participative methodology implemented not on the social issues. for this meeting gave resulted in a Finally, the research group faced common frame that profited on the many concepts founded around diversity of the counterparts, even in Free Software related concepts and matters of disagreements and different visions. This thematic is surrounded priorities. by countless myths and assumptions: This group of collaborators drifted political considerations, apathy, through a two year process of ups exclusion, prejudice, and overwhelming and downs: moments of confusion in expectations, the ideal of the Free which tasks and expectations were not Software community as an egalitarian very clear, negotiating the terms of the and inclusive space, Free Software relationship, building up trust, changes often being identified with traditional of the staff dedicated to the project, left or right wing politics, and access institutional changes and multiple work to technology as the key to social and and personal obligations. economic development. All of these ideas and imagery would be confronted The small research team at Bellanet once and again with the experiences wouldn’t have been able to access the and information found in the region. amount of data and the quality of the information contained in the process Collective Construction and without the help of said counterparts. Group Dynamics In Mexico, Argentina, and Brazil (where interviews were carried In order to work with the regional out in a deeper level) it wouldn’t have counterparts, face-to-face meetings were been possible to access the information held two throughout the research and a networks of different sectors without virtual group used to share information the help of the local counterparts and and work in a collaborative manner on their trust and commitment-based the concepts and instruments. relationships with some of the Free During the first counterpart meeting Software groups. This accessibility to (August 2004 in Costa Rica) the group certain groups and venues limited the came together to determine common scope of the project. Key actors were not concepts, discuss them from experience consulted during the research: complete and collectively define which were the countries and important sectors (such areas of interest in the research. It is as the academic sector) were not important to note that all counterparts covered in ideal depth, but within time, had very different levels of experience methodology and budget limitations.

18 Voces libres de los campos digitales The Big Chart considered a first order category because in Latin America there are social, The first real joint effort of the economic and political conditions that counterparts was to create a big chart build up a complex scenario in which containing the categories, variables ICT’s are being adopted and created. and sub-variables of the research. This This complexity cannot be overlooked chart defined which were the thematic in the research process because it priorities and the desired approach. helps to understand the position of During its creation the following the different actors from their sectors questions arose: What do we want to and from the conditions they have for learn? What do we want to understand producing Free Software. For instance, better? What variables lead us to better it helps understand if actors consider accomplish the objectives? Free Software as answering to the local As a result of this effort three main employment needs, or to the State’s categories were obtained, with variables technological infrastructure, or to and sub-variables that are more women’s digital inclusion, etc. thoroughly explained in the Final The third category is dedicated to Research Report (attached in the CD). understanding the relationships The first category is oriented to established between Free Software understanding the collaboration networks and the organizations and processes for the production of Free institutions working for social and Software, as well as the processes of economic development, or that have a collaboration that articulate for the perspective for developing and bettering use of Free Software in networks and living conditions in their community, communities. This matter is basic for country or in the region itself. This understanding human interactions, the approach was chosen because it was a dynamics and the knowledge exchange priority to identify which were the links procedures and collective constructions that were being established between in Free Software networks. The intention networks with technical objectives and was not to see software as the ultimate networks with social objectives, and result of the production process or its which were the challenges they were characteristics, but knowing the people facing in this relationships and what behind the initiatives, its context and were the mutual benefits. the links that start emerging between The ideas exposed in this big chart individuals and organizations. were discussed and prioritized by the The second category speaks about group. It was not possible to include the necessary and existing conditions the interests of all of the counterparts, that limit or incite Free Software so a common basis was negotiated to appropriation in the region. This was allow covering the subjects in some level

Voces libres de los campos digitales 19 of depth, without forgetting that the were closer to the group. Nonetheless, objective of the research was oriented a great array of countries, groups and towards a general vision of Free Software levels of involvement were found. in the region. The great chart was the Here extensive and fast Free Software document that guided the creation of networks’ communication systems the instruments, the formulation of the played a key role: the invitation passed questions and the analysis of the data on from mailing list to mailing list, until the end of the research. through different websites, many times losing track of its objectives and origin. Creation and Application of the In this phase there was very little Instruments participation from Brazil (even though To explore the first category it became the survey was available in Portuguese necessary to reach out to the users and French). Doing a retrospective and developers of Free Software in the analysis it was concluded that the time different countries of the region. Many of the survey might not have been the specific questions arose: who are they, best for Brazilian participants. After what are their motivations, interests the closing date numerous kinds of and the characteristics constituting proposals were received that were the community they belong to. It was already too late to process, but that are decided to carry out an online survey, also available with the rest of the data. taking into account that this would To analyze the second and third exclude population without access to categories it was decided to implement Internet. The survey was designed jointly semi-structured interviews on people and the formulation of some questions from diverse sectors. The interview was was a result of a very intense negotiation, also designed jointly but modified by where the objectives of the research each interviewer at the moment of its had to be constantly remembered, the application, for better adjustment to definition of the categories, etc. The the context and the interviewed subject. aim was to express the questions in an The questions are related to the context open manner, without handing out too and the organizational structures for many definitions (hoping they would adoption and development of Free use their own), in order to determine Software, and the relationships among their level of identification towards the the actors with the issue of social and questionnaire. economic development in the region. The online survey was completed by The number of interviews per sub- more than 800 people. The promotion region was uneven; it was not aimed at of the survey was in charge of the a uniformed coverage of the sectors, nor local counterparts, thus the greatest was a scientific sample selected. Once participation comes from networks that again, local and international networks

20 Voces libres de los campos digitales were used, which also conditioned the decided that in order to dialogue and obtained results: the countries where construct with some of the sectors it the counterparts were located (or where would be important to do some group they have presence) contributed with activities in different countries, which the most interviews. In total around would allow to appreciate the richness 47 interviews were obtained, done by and diversity of a certain group when phone, personally or through e-mail. obtaining the data. The second counterparts’ meeting was also held in Costa Rica in late May In-Depth Interviews and Activities in the Region 2005. This time the group met to do a preliminary analysis of the data obtained In May 2005 several in-depth interviews until then. At that time the data for were carried out in Mexico City. Our the survey had already been processed local counterpart, La Neta, was the and the counterparts had begun doing contact to access some people especially interviews in their own sub-regions. linked to the private sector and involved This meeting determined a prioritizing in enterprises that emerged form the of sectors and countries which seemed business model of Free Software. pertinent and interesting or which had During these same days the research a sufficient availability to deepen in the team had opportunity of carrying on objectives of the research and with what an activity summoned by La Neta to a was being obtained in the exploration group of social organizations, interested of the categories. in learning about the installation of a From the preliminary analysis of data free operational system. In the training obtained at the time, the research session there was a chance to talk as team designed a very flexible “basic a group about these organizations’ interview” that could adapt to every perspectives on Free Software and its studied sector. Additionally, it was instrumental use.

Priority Countries and Sectors MEXICO BRAZIL Private Sector Government Civil Society Women’s Groups ARGENTINA VENEZUELA Civil Society Government Developers’ Groups

Voces libres de los campos digitales 21 In late May the team took part in the Meanwhile, Alfa-Redi counterpart, first meeting on Free Software and Social Erick Iriarte, was carrying out in-depth Appropriation of New Technologies, interviews in Venezuela, with State organized by ARCIS University in functionaries and other key actors in Santiago, Chile. Here, more in depth the country. conversation was done with some of During this phase and despite the team’s the actors that had already been covered intentions, it was not possible to cover by the semi-structured high quality the sub-regions of the Caribbean and interviews performed by Erick Baez. Central America. In these two regions the Days later the VI International Free organized Free Software communities Software Forum took place in Porto are few, and within the period of Alegre, Brazil. Here, the team could investigation there was no opportunity access people involved with the local that allowed exploring these networks government and who participated in to a greater depth. Nonetheless, the formulating policies on Free Software. data for Central America is completed Interviews were also held with the with semi-structured interviews of very women who had founded and integrated high standards in different sectors and some of the groups of Women and Free countries. Software and who, together with the Forum, organize the yearly Encounter Case Studies of Women and Free Software. During the research period, topics emerged complementing the During the month of July 2005 several development of the research, which people in Argentina were interviewed, were decided to turn into case studies or especially developers and members of attached documents to the investigation’s the UTUTO community, a distribution final report. The first one appeared by of Linux created and maintained initiative of a counterpart in the Andes mainly in Argentina. These interviews Region, Alfa-Redi, which proposed a are the main resource for the Stephane study on the judicial scenarios for Free Couture case study, which completes Software in the different countries of this publication. the region. The article was finished by Also in Buenos Aires, an encounter of Fernando Maresca in late 004, and social organizations from different parts recounts the normative and common of the country was organized, together characteristics of legal initiatives around with our counterpart SOLAR, which Free Software in different countries and met up to discuss the possibilities of localities. working together with Free Software Another complementary study is Networks and to train on basic notions the analysis of data through gender. of the subject. Margarita Salas analyzed the results of

22 Voces libres de los campos digitales the survey and some deferential aspects sources were made available in digital between men and women’s answers, and format, as is this publication. did a conceptual deepening into the Verónica Xhardez, social investigator, subject of gender and ICTs (which is collaborated in the analysis of the her line of work). Margarita also made data, who was our counterpart for use of the interviews done to women the South Cone and collaborated organized around Free Software and during the course of the research with complementary materials that different constant methodological support. Her groups facilitated for its analysis. contribution is present in the Final Stephane Couture, from the University report document, especially in the of Quebec at Montreal, carried out section on Social Organizations two case studies of high theoretic The guidelines to analyze the data quality containing intense fieldwork. were the categories, variables and sub- One of those case studies completes variables established at the beginning this publication. The other case study of the process, summed up in the Big examines the organization Projecto Chart. The sub-variables and variables Software Livre Brazil, its structures and which first led to the queries were its operation, as well as its perspectives reflected within each subject matter. and projections. Bearing this in mind, the work is All these complementary studies are organized in several parts: included in digital format in the CD · A section on networks and Free attached to this publication. Software Groups, to study the data given by users and developers. From the Instruments to the This section corresponds to the Conclusions development of the first category of On August 005 the team had the research. collected a great amount and array of · A section on the conditions of the data (with variety that went further context for the appropriation of Fee than anticipated), including some 0 Software in the region in general, interviews and meaningful documents. with correspondence to the second The challenge of analyzing the data and category of the research. obtaining feedback over the analysis motivated asking for an extension of · Three sections that would allow the project until May 2006. During this exploring the results obtained in time the team finished processing the the sectors studied in more depth: data and doing the analysis, and tried to Governments, Social Organizations obtain feedback form different people in and Private Enterprise. These the networks that had been constructed Sections explore the relationships during the process. Also, materials and of Free Software networks with the

Voces libres de los campos digitales 23 diverse actors of development (third of view and, of course, the conclusions category) and at the same time they lead to. allowed identifying some common The intention is not to create a agendas among said sectors. unique revelation of the data, but an · A section characterizing some of interpretation from what was observed the initiatives related with free and understood in the process of this knowledge that have particular research. Other interpretations are relationships to the Free Software possible (and desirable). The transcribed Networks. interviews in the audio archive, as well Using the Big Chart as a guideline, each as the public data obtained through the of the sub-variables was structured, survey, are available for processing and shaping the general idea left by the reinterpreting. The research team wishes reading of the material’s totality, and for this data to be useful for reaching complementing this interpretation with new conclusions, or enriched with the words of those interviewed and the materials that, given our limitations, quotes from the moments in which were not possible to obtain. their ideas were representative of what others said as well. Incorporation of New Authors In other occasions, the data was taken The research team is aware that the pers- directly from surveys done to users and pectives on the topic of Free Software in developers to illustrate or exemplify one Latin America and the Caribbean are as of the conclusions. In other moments, numerous as they are different. It is not a given interviewee contributed with possible to pretend that the broad and a particular opinion, which was open Free Software Networks are free considered relevant, it was also included. from conceptual, ideological, methodo- During the process of analysis, aside logical and interpretative conflicts. from agreements or coincidences, Also, the approach of this study is defi- contradictions, discrepancies and nitely limited, and broader knowledge important disagreements were also of the networks and interrelationships outlined. between the people who make up “the Nevertheless, it is always important to community” could be better understood point out that this qualitative analysis form its locus, or from other experien- can only become an interpretation of ces. At the end of the process of analysis what those interviewed intended to say it was decided to contact other authors, with their answers. In other words, it key people with whom contact had been is until the end that researchers choose established throughout the process, get- and discriminate the relevance of the ting them to do a reading of the first draft material, the coherence in the points of results. From this first reading came a

24 Voces libres de los campos digitales critical view that modified the document speaking Caribbean countries, or not only in its form, but also in its con- countries like , and tent. , where the tasks exceeded the capabilities and good will of our Moreover, several authors were asked to counterparts. complete this publication with an arti- cle of their own, written from their own It is also necessary to find a way of experience. Integrating more voices and making the research process even visions was seen as something that could more participative and including more give the readers an idea of how diverse people with diverse viewpoints for and changing the treatment of the sub- each stage. Another stated challenge ject could be. is finding means to project the results faster, so they can receive feedback and DifferentA pproaches, Different be enriched faster. Opportunities In this particular case, the process followed and the decisions taken led to This research was always seen by the a path filled with knowledge and many team as a great opportunity to approach professional and personal findings and a very extensive subject matter that not rewards. The research team humbly only states new conceptual challenges, offers the results of this work to the but also given its particularities, extensive networks that allowed an demands a great methodological effort approach to their own values, aspirations for its study. and concrete actions. Regarding the way in which the research was carried out, valuable Main Findings in the lessons were learned on the implications Investigation of doing this kind of work collectively. Set out from the objectives and It is important to note that these very categories stated by the research team, lessons were learned through the ways an analysis was carried out, which is in which groups and networks around fundamentally based in qualitative data. Free Software operate. The ideas that lead to the conclusions and highlighted issues, were expressed For a future project, the team considers by those interviewed or by the groups important involving more counterparts with which contact was held during the that could add more diversity and process. The analysis of the data along coverage to the subject, in spite of the with the quotes’ support and resources difficulties of coordination and budget that sustain it, can be found in greater that this would imply. In this case a detail in the Final Report attached to greater coverage would have maybe this publication. Here, a summary that allowed covering the academic sector, allows a fast review of the main ideas is accessing the networks in the English- offered.

Voces libres de los campos digitales 25 As mentioned in the last section, the America and the Caribbean which is results of the analysis correspond to trying to construct its identity with little one of the possible interpretations resources. Nevertheless, and despite of the material allows. These results are the limitations of the instrument applied permeated not only by a subjective to determine these variables, some clues vision on Free Software and the context were found to deepen into this matter. of the region, but also by the ideas that were incorporated into the research’s Many of the themes stated as conclusions repertoire throughout the process. are probably known by people who have participated in Free Software networks’ Just as the general objective for organized instances and will not bring this study states, the interpretation many surprises. It is not intended to provides a horizontal vision, without portray all the Free Software community, going too deep into it or taking the but instead to do an interpretation of the time to reexamine conceptual aspects. data gathered in the region, through the Nonetheless, it contains some elements approach of our own observations. of interest to describe the subject and generate new angles in a permanent Participation discussion. According to the data extracted from the Free Software Networks: Users, survey, participation in communities Developers and Communities or networks related to Free Software is strongly related to who the members The Latin American Free Software of the community are and where they networks or communities turned out come from. It also has to do with the to be very diverse and differ from one concepts of “community”, “developer” country to another, or even in a local and “user” each of them has, concepts level, in their organizational structures. which were discussed repeatedly by the The diversity is impressive and allowed research team. the group to imagine how far basic information on Free Software has During the interviews, the generalized gone, and to some point, where ICT’s idea that “there’s a little of everything” have reached in incorporating into the was a constant, and it’s members are as everyday life of the region’s people. diverse as their initiatives and interests. The survey depicts a sample that is mostly For example, a big community was found limited, but on the contrary indicates in Mexico that covers from anarchist a very well drawn uniformity: middle to entrepreneurs; a highly organized class, appropriate connectivity, youth, community in Brazil that works jointly male gender, and a good educational with people from all regions of the level are the most numerous segment. country; and a poorly organized and The great majority still come from the poorly articulated community in Central informatics and computer sciences

26 Voces libres de los campos digitales field, and indicate having English as a freedom of software and freedom of second language. general knowledge, and positions Free Software in a much more political level Relying on generalization, we come upon a middle class segment with access where it is actively involved. Another to services and education. Although part of the community is more inclined more diverse actors keep incorporating towards the concept of Open Source (women, people with little or no or Open Root Code, which reflects in schooling, professionals from other much more pragmatic values focused disciplines, etc.), the aforementioned in the technical and commercial characteristics are predominant, and advantages of the software’s model of the changes or inclusions from other development. Other networks have groups occur form conscious efforts of intermediate positions or diverging inclusion and diversification in fields proposals, from rejecting community and origins within the groups. political discussion to committing to specific political parties. In some The assumed principle is that there is no groups, members with a high technical discrimination and no differentiation is profile manage to position themselves made between people who participate in an ideological or political level in a in the network. Most of the people broad manner, but this position does interviewed still think it works that way. not necessarily represent the whole Nevertheless, disagreements exist and group. become evident: some members become differentiated because of gender, socio- This subject emerged during the research economic level, formal education or when the instruments were oriented operational levels of technology tools. to studying groups or communities. These differences inhibit participation Some participants commented that and opinions of some partakers and Free Software and Open Code should turn some communities into exclusive compete in the same conditions as spaces. Registered Software, in terms of processes, relationships and structures; Believing and Thinking in Free and that the fact of organizing into Software communities represented a disadvantage in this sense. Not all of the actors consider they are assuming an ideological or philosophical Different points of view can be position through their participation in observed both in Free Software users a group of Free Software. According and developers. Perspectives seem to to what was observed, both in the coexist, not always peacefully, in the interviews and in the interaction very same networks observed. If in fact with different groups, a part of the most of the spaces are of a technical community supports the values of nature, some spaces emerge specifically

Voces libres de los campos digitales 27 to discuss political or social matters, from Free Software is described in such as the Hipatia Community and the interviews as something that the PSL-Mulheres Community. businesses do around the community, The issue of differences, divisions and not within the community itself. conflicts that have emerged from Precisely, one of the big questions in political and ideological positions, several of the communities is how be it related to traditional political much they have to become formal and tendencies or with flourishing global organized structures in order to access conflicts, is a subject that could be and manage funds (such is the case developed much more thoroughly. of Association Software Livre, which For instance, currently, the process branched from Projecto Software Libre of creation of new version of the GPL Rio Grande do Sul). It is particularly license (GPLv3) has brought to light evident in the interviews that while many controversies in which the Latin some insist this would be the best America Communities are constantly way to operate, others sustain that the debating and participating. spirit of the community is precisely its changing and constantly moving Remaining a Community character, where responsibilities are acquired through identification and Sustainability of communities has commitment and not through formal several sides to it. On one hand, there structures. is economic sustainability, which allows development of projects and Now, this commitment and activities of interest for the group, identification has to do with the from financing the hours of some of motivation of the members to give the software creators to supporting face continuity to the community. While to face users’ meetings, installation some groups remain and achieve festivals, etc. Obtaining financing for great things, providing continuity the community always seems to be a and growth for their products and conflict and is perceived as a problem activities, others disappear within a by the survey participants, but it’s not few months. The reasons for which indicated as the biggest of problems. this may happen are pointed out They indicate that practically all by the participants in the survey: financing of network activities is lack of interest in the discussed voluntary and many want it to remain matters, irrelevance or little need that way. Some of these communities for the existence of the group, few have managed, as such, to carry out technical challenges to undertake, activities that grant them some kind disagreements on the direction of of income for internal matters, but the project and/or personal problems this is not the norm: making money within the community.

28 Voces libres de los campos digitales Belonging economically rewarded for their Regarding motivations to participate contributions. Nevertheless, as long as in communities and projects, it was the Free Software market keeps growing found in the survey that the practical and new initiatives appear around it, motivations that have to do with new work and business opportunities obtaining a code or support, obtaining emerge for the members of the software for a specific purpose or community. Many of them, on the collaborating becomes necessary in contrary, have to create a space within itself or for working. Nevertheless, a their working hours to introduce Free big part of the motivation comes from Software and experiment with it. a personal, ideological, political or technical identification to the group. Difficulties One becomes part of the community From the data obtained, the elements because it’s fun to experiment with that determine the particularity of the code, to construct collectively and independent and changing communities surpass the limitations of the instrument. are precisely the ones that are considered One becomes part of the community as greater challenges in terms of making because one wants the users’ database the community work better. The lack to grow, promote certain ideas and the of funding for developing projects and software that represents these ideas. activities, the lack of participation and A very important number of people the little involvement of people, the interviewed during the research are lack of promotion or knowledge on part of the communities (be it of more Free Software outside the community, technical orientation or more socially are elements that are designated as oriented) because of a great degree of challenges. social and political commitment. Promoting the community and Free From the reflection of the research team Software is one of the main tasks of it is clear that belonging to a community the groups, especially users. Ensuring a is very difficult to define, and has no greater number of Free Software users strict limits. Defining if one is a user or would allow them to increase their developer, or part of a community, does action realm, having more participation, not become evident thus it depends on extending the market where the the degree of personal involvement with economical activity of the community the project. Some of those interviewed is developed, having more added stated that someone could consider knowledge applicable to improving and himself as part of a community by only changing software, etc. Achieving the testing a Software Product. incorporation of new people seems to According to the data obtained, there be a constant challenge; nevertheless, are few Free Software developers a great technological and social barrier

Voces libres de los campos digitales 29 still prevails over including a greater Nevertheless, it is also through the number of persons in the Free Software work of some leaders who take on a matter. The technical barrier, according dominant role in communities that to the interviewed, is still important. most of the initiatives are carried out. The degree of access to the Internet At least, throughout the observation and the level of proficiency in handling carried out in the region, it was other languages can still be determinant. possible to determine that some It is still a challenge getting more people leaders are the ones who impel the to join without losing the essence of a most strategic and political matters highly technical community where among the communities, while most software is improved and created. of the group itself is devoted to Inclusion vs. exclusivity is yet another supporting it by doing “ant labor” tension Free Software communities still required by every initiative. Both face. roles are valued within the network and acknowledged as important work. Influence in the Scene Clearly, leaderships are key because counterparts such as Government Some communities in the region need people with whom to identify have reached a degree or volume of “the movement” for establishing organization that grants them some dialogue and negotiation. presence. Sometimes, becoming The level of influence of the most a referent to the community at a organized communities is being national or local level gives them tested and it is at this moment when the drive and access to discussions results start to become evident. Free like the use and development of Free Software communities in the region Software in Public Administration. are an important part of the actors That presence is permanently who have brought to public light questioned by the dynamic and important matters such as intellectual changing ways in which people property, copyrights, privacy, freedom assemble and disassemble. When of expression, and other issues into new networks are created, weather the light of globalization and the new formally institutionalized or not, one worldwide scenario. Free Software of the main challenges is to legitimize communities have extended part them as part of a broader network, of the discussion on rights to the which can generally be done through technological community, and have executing work. Internal conflicts triggered the discussion on free and don’t cease to be present and many open contents, open standards, and think that it is precisely in these common cultural assets, not only in processes where people begin to their communities, but also in their prevail over collective objectives. countries and the whole region.

30 Voces libres de los campos digitales According to the interviews, another In general, according to the surveys and key place to create influence, create interviews, structures don’t tend to be groups and extend users database are rigid and relationships between members Universities; considering education are founded over unwritten rules of as a strategic sector for conscious behavior where merit, commitment, appropriation of the tool and definitely presence and input are key. confirming the idea that giving Anyway, there are some initiatives where importance to education as a strategic the objectives are more related to social space for the networks’ expansion in issues than to technical ones, and which members and resources. aim implementing open, democratic participation systems. Some interviewed Processes and Procedures for pointed out that this would allow the Knowledge Exchange involvement of all people interested in The Free Software communities the matter, even if these were not very accessed in this study are not necessarily common procedures in these sectors democratic and horizontal. There are and could lead to discussions on related communities that have established political tendencies and related means of leaderships on technical competence; action. The more open the organization others where political leaderships have is towards the community, the more become more relevant; others that reject need to find consensus on procedures for the existence of directing groups, and decision-making involving participants others that are still deciding where to as peers. place these leaderships and decision- Both user and developer communities, making. Also, power-structures and are highly regarded as consensus space, decision-making in each community also where all peers can be favored from depend on their objective: for a Software the exchange. This was pointed out by developers’ community it is priority people from all sectors. Participants to have structure that allows greater from different areas and abilities bring quality and efficiency in the production questions and answers to the discussion, of software. Thus, it is organized based and in this permanent and irregularly on technical competence and practical timed exchange is where joint field experience on the code. A community knowledge is produced. As with the of users, for instance, where members code, this is a product to which everyone basically interact on-line to help each has access and which is subject to being other clear doubts, can have a much criticized, transformed or ignored. more open structure where the decisions are made by the members and have no The task of developing Free Software can influence over the behavior of other be a collective one or an individual one. members (beyond technical control of When the developers were asked about virtual space). their preferences, the percentages were

Voces libres de los campos digitales 31 very similar. There are those who feel positions and processes, endeavoring more comfortable developing collective group and community organization and work and those who would rather do promoting community participation. it individually and then submit their Some people are currently more work to the group. This group exchange involved with this aspect than directly is highly valued and participation in creating software. Other roles within general discussions are acknowledged as the communities of developers are also the means to participate actively in the open for people who don’t have the community. technical capabilities to write software, such as translation, interface and In order to participate in the community, graphics design, and Software testing. several tools are needed. According to enquiries carried out, mailing lists On the other hand, it becomes evident are still the main tool, in spite of the through the surveys and interviews innovation that other resources such that users’ communities have assumed as blogs, wikis, collective sites, version an essential role in offering support to control systems, etc. have represented, other users (be it online or personally), since mailing lists are sometimes the and some have developed strategies for only resource for interaction that the preparing other users and developers, group has, and the use of these resources doing publicity and promoting the use is still limited. and development of Free Software, etc. In technically oriented communities, it A lower percentage, though nevertheless was observed that the main exchange having presence in qualitative data, are practice consists in generally discussing the members of communities that are common problems and solutions. The somehow considering the social impact problems are stated in a communication of Free Software and transferring space where solutions compete with each proposals such as Free Software into other and are aimed towards finding other social spheres, such as Government the most suitable one through dialogue. or civil society organizations. These For an initiative to get the attention of people are bridging community and the community it must be identified groups interested in Free Software as a as a challenge, a chance for improving means for social change. software or helping others. Relationships: Constant It is worth mentioning that Latin Tensions American developers and users affirm to be participating in very diverse processes While analyzing the data it was intended within or outside the community; not all to observe how some important of them are involved with code writing. relationships were established in the A great number of today’s communities region, having a lot to do with the way have dedicated to assume leadership in in which Free Software is developed

32 Voces libres de los campos digitales and used. For instance, it was of interest If in fact physical encounters are not to know to what extent participation always possible when it comes to is by isolated individuals instead communities where members are far of organizations integrating Free away from each other (as a federal Software communities. Nonetheless, organization in a country or even this was difficult to determine and several countries sharing one same only intuitively it could be observed community); an important sector of that many times the approach occurs community participants - especially because people interested get involved developers - can allow themselves and take part in the communities, and communication other than virtual, in it is these persons who later get their order to strengthen their relationships organizations involved. and joint work. This could be one of the reasons why an important number Another relationship that became of developers prefer to be involved with important, and is considered as an local projects. Anyhow, virtual space interesting conclusion to the survey, continues to be the main one regarding is that the local ground is the most projects involving developers and important for the users and developers’ participants from far away places or on communities. In spite of what could a global dimension. be thought about interaction taking place online (and therefore location Regarding development of commercial being unimportant), many users software vs. non-commercial or and developers build and integrate voluntary software development, it communities on a local basis to develop is also difficult to establish a clear software, find technical support and relationship. Nevertheless, interviewed become identified with the community developers and users consider the in general. Many Free Software possibility of developing Free Software development projects that were accessed with commercial purposes and conceive throughout the investigation have a market for Free Software given by generated among close groups, sharing the same liberties in software. Most territoriality and therefore already having think that Free Software can be a great some trust and identification with each opportunity to create work and generate other, and where outside members are economical wellbeing for developers and incorporated afterwards. This local those involved in similar production relationship is important because processes. software development and participation It was not possible to identify a of people in the communities respond clear relationship between countries to local needs and would be employing from the North with the ones in the local knowledge to generate expanding South. Apparently the nature of the networks and junctures on the outside. communities is highly influenced by

Voces libres de los campos digitales 33 the language in which they operate. sufficient identification between the If developers have the possibility of user and the community process and communicating in English, they will that through this participation, it can participate with assurance in the English be transformed. speaking communities. The local communities mainly develop in Spanish Conditions for Software and Portuguese and the efficiency in Appropriation in LAC communication is very important. In the communities we could observe there are When the research group determined efforts to include everyone, if possible, this category, the intention was to but generally there is always a particular understand what existing specific predominant language for interaction. conditions in Latin America and Hence, there are a lot of users and the Caribbean might be helping or developers who find a participation otherwise hindering Free Software space outside of Latin America, but appropriation in the different sectors. national and regional communities are One of the reasons for finding clues too consolidated to ensure participation in the matter is that when it comes to in the South. making efforts and determining action A relationship that is basic for the frames in TIC matters, the change in adequate development of Free Software conditions can be as important or more projects is precisely that between users important than the actions themselves. and Software developers. For some During the development of the of the people asked, this division methodological frame it was decided to is inexistent, and those involved in focus the questions in two directions. Software creation, from initial ideas One of them is the “macro environment” to testing and promotion are also its which embraces the whole region, the users. Nevertheless, in projects where country or province, in a very broad these groups are differentiated, there and flexible sense of territoriality, are several relationship instances that useful for analyzing the context. This evidence some technical barriers and context would be expressed through suggestions to overcome them. sub-variables such as the educational Reinforcing communication between system, the history and culture of users and developers is crucial for the place, the legislative frame, the the Software development model, hardware and software situation in and is what allows it to acquire part general, the lobbying efforts in public of its added value: users contribute administration, the conditions for to creating software through its use connectivity, etc. The other direction and feedback during the process. The of interest was the “micro”, meaning permanent challenge is achieving a the conditions within the organizations

34 Voces libres de los campos digitales and institutions that allow or interfere Political and Economical History with the actions around Free Software. These conditions would be expressed in Essentially, cultural and political history the effective possibilities for accessing in the region affects ICTs´ appropriation Free Software and in the organizational means in different countries. It is not challenges around migration and possible to separate the ICT issue from adoption of new software. the social context of each country, because Free Software has always been From the beginning it was established related in different manners to the that this part of the research would be political forces. It is interesting to note harder to approach, because establishing that during the research a constant these relationships and finding data was found regarding the perception on for how the actors perceive the Free Software as bringing traditionally environment’s influence requires the use opposing political sectors with diverse of methodological tools that were not interests to the discussion table. always available. Anyhow, this part of As a matter of fact, throughout the the publication tries to illustrate some region, the Free Software topic is of the completed interpretations with not only identified with left wing the opinions of the study’s participants. movements, but also with a broad sector of the industry that traditionally Macro Environment: the defends the free market. Nevertheless, Region, the Country and the it is evident that many leftist sectors Local Scene from different countries are becoming Diversity in historical and political increasingly involved with the Free scenarios in the Latin American region Software movement. In general, make it impossible to generalize and most sectors within a broad political at the same time give coverage in a spectrum agree that Free Software research of this nature, factors as elusive acquires particularities that deal with as culture or history, are affecting the economical and social reality of the way in which Information and the region. For some people, these Communication Technologies are particularities are not only important being appropriated and created. Some but also determining. testimonies gathered throughout the Education and Access to ICTs investigation (which might not be indicators of a general panorama for Throughout the semi-structured the whole region), illustrate how the interviews, almost all of those interviewed environment’s conditions are perceived pointed out Free Software integration and how they are affecting initiatives on education in their countries as a on communities, organizations and priority. In several sectors, education individuals. and preparation for Free Software use

Voces libres de los campos digitales 35 at all levels was expressed as one of the by difficulty to replace copyright priority issues in the agenda on local products). It is in the matter of final . users where Free Software hasn’t yet obtained great numbers. Nevertheless, Many of those interviewed who work this is moving forward through broad in the educational area expressed that in range public initiatives that not only most countries of the region, educative consider Software a problem, but also initiatives that deal with ICTs are thought Hardware and Connectivity. within the idea of “habilitating” people for using ownership software tools, For many of the interviewed, turning them into machine operatives. connection to the Internet is a The perspective for generating necessary previous condition for critical users, with the possibility of migration attempts, not to mention participating on the software design the possibility of participating process and how it operates, is simply in the Free Software community. not considered. This is how the basic Nonetheless, for others, connectivity idea of education on ICTs is challenged is not the most important factor by the Free Software model, which also because local networks can manage anchors on collectiveness for finding to fulfill the users´ communication solutions beyond the individual use of needs. Conditions of connectivity, tools. hardware and software in each country are determined mostly by economical In general, consulted people agree in variables. Some of those interviewed stating that for Free Software to be pointed out that existing hardware incorporated into countries in the resources and support are designed to region, it is necessary to create a lot of give continuity to licensed software tools not only for the use of Software use. itself, but for supporting whole strategies of preparation for conceiving, For filling the gap in terms of hardware developing and using Software with a and connectivity, there are several sense of appropriation an authorship plans for the region’s development within the liberties that the different in different stages. One example are models offer. those initiatives that aim to make low Hardware, Software and Connectivity cost computers available to the public, with a basic configuration that also Regarding servers and web allows better connectivity conditions, infrastructure, practically everyone such as the PC Conectado program interviewed agree that Free Software in Brazil. This is yet another terrain in has quickly gained ground in all sectors which Free Software is still struggling over the last few years (except for over spaces with Licensed Software markets that are still strongly permeated dealers.

36 Voces libres de los campos digitales Public Policies and Lobbying institutions, in favor of facts such as the total cost of said property. On Dealing with public policies, the region this matter, our Alfa-Redi counterpart has progressed unevenly in terms of published, in early 006, a document establishing which Software will be used that gathers the main visions on by the State (in other articles attached technological neutrality being discussed to this publication the implementation throughout the region. experiences in government that were commented throughout our research Micro Environment: in the region are described more Organization Challenges in the accurately). What seems to be clear for Adoption and Development of most of those interviewed is that Free Free Software Software is facing intense campaigns from the License Software industry, and The organizational challenges in the private and public lobbying initiatives micro layer somehow reproduce those for maintaining the business model found in a wider country or sub-region currently dominating most Latin layer. Involvement of decision-makers American markets. and final users are added to these same challenges. The interviews reported that Lobbying efforts, persuasion work, perception of many sectors on Free publicity, marketing, promotion, Software and its costs also constitute a special license deals, etc. raise suspicion challenge associated with training and in the region, especially because those availability of technicians foreign to interviewed recognize that corruption organizations. Below is a summary of exists in all private and public levels some of the main observations from the and there isn’t always transparency or interviews: technical criteria to justify choosing a particular software over another. · Access to Hardware and Software. Acquiring new hardware is a strong But lobbying does not only come from investment. Adopting Free Software foreign Licensed Software companies. could be an opportunity to reuse lower According to the people inquired, in configuration machines for certain some countries development of the tasks, nevertheless, Free Software Licensed Software exporting industry adoption also means investment has been encouraged, expecting the in migration, reconfiguration, high-tech sector to take on a leading compatible hardware, etc. role in local economy. In many opportunities, external and internal · Investment in training and lobbying is accompanied by a position technical support. Free Software on “technological neutrality” and aims means training both users and towards eliminating the discourse on system administrators. This could information in property of public be seen as a short-term expense

Voces libres de los campos digitales 37 or an investment policy in training makers” was considered one of the with mid-size financial and technical most important factors contributing results. to Free Software adoption. Free Software introduction from technical · Limited service market. In some levels, works as a strategy until it countries or provinces, the service reaches a certain point, while the market for training, support, economical, strategic, en efficiency migration and adaptation of aspects involve practically every Software is limited, and this layer in the organization handicap could mean that costs . become inaccessible. In an ideal · Support from final users. The situation, Free Software networks latter sometimes show fear or have a level of management or lack of interest when it comes to organizational development that changing their habits or customs allows them to provide these regarding the use of a particular services in a more structured tool. Nevertheless, this interest is and formal manner, and not only almost always influenced by lack of through mechanisms such as lists opportunities in training, and by the or peer support. loss of an area of knowledge which they considered already conquered. The lack of support availability can Training and basic technical support create rejection in new users. services in licensed software are widely extended and offer allows low prices. Even training in licensed software is Maybe the most common remark often integrated to public and private during the interviews doesn’t make education, to technical training and reference to final desktop users, but higher education in Universities, to departments of informatics or where it is approached as part of the people in charge of giving support basic preparation for the working in a particular organization. In these environment. Many businesses, levels a particular reluctance can organizations and government be felt for various reasons. In many institutions do not invest in basic occasions these people are qualified software operation training, because and educated through ownership it is supposed to be “included” in the solutions, and switching to other staff’s capabilities. software means an important change in their work dynamics and in the necessary knowledge they must · Support from decision-makers. acquire. The work with intermediate In the semi-structured interviews, levels demands adequate approach the option “Support from decision- and strategy.

38 Voces libres de los campos digitales Prospects and Results ble in commercial environments, there are numerous successful adoption and Another factor that reinforces or migration cases at all levels, which ge- weakens Free Software’s take over the nerate profound changes in organiza- organization is the relationship bet- tions, positive results in some areas and ween prospects and results derived by negative ones in other areas. an implementation or development project. Adoption of Free Software in an orga- nization is therefore measured by an The expectations picked up in the array of internal and external factors. interviews have to do with lowering The decision of implementing Free costs, having more flexibility to modi- Software within the organization is fy and adapt software to specific needs, not always exempt from a reflection on getting the necessary legal licenses in existing conditions and implications in order to use software according to the a model change. Generating the con- established terms in all cases, having a ditions for adoption and development greater control over the organization’s of Free Software has to be part of an information management. Another integral strategy within organizations, expectation factor is not depending where not only investment and system on a single distributor for products, sustainability are considered, but also training, certifications, support, stan- the principle on which they are based dards, Software modification, etc. and the value given to information But prospects have to do also with pro- within. ductivity and quality: organizations hope that Free Software offers an equi- Free Software Based valent or better solution than Licensed Initiatives Software, pursuing that the apprenti- Part of the interviews in Mexico, ceship curve remains smooth and that Argentina and Brazil were done to investment in training, hardware and business people who currently use Free support is cost-effective in order to im- Software as the base for their business plement the change. model. The industry developing around When these expectations do not beco- Free Software is a service industry that me tangible results, important reluctan- does not profit directly from code ce is generated towards Free Software. creation, but from its implementation, Some of the people inquired state that adaptation and configuring for specific unsuccessful or unplanned migration processes. As a service industry, the cases have received a lot of bad publici- strategies for innovation and generating ty form Licensed Software companies wealth differ from traditional software (what can happen if Free Software is industry as a product under privative used). Nevertheless, though less visi- license.

Voces libres de los campos digitales 39 Company Models Marketing and Promotion Most of the interviewed companies Slowly Free Software based companies define themselves as small to average are beginning to provide themselves a size, with few highly specialized market out of community networks. employees. They are young businesses Companies are identified by “brands” which require little initial investment. that have made impact in the media, They are generally formed in the heart especially on matters of legal software of the community and remain as an license use. The promotion of Linux integral active part of the networks, as an operative system has opened the in this way obtaining a great part door to Free Software service providers of their market, work material and that go beyond servers and desktops, human resources. generating high added value services of greater proficiency. PYMEs share the stage with big companies that are adopting FS as Nevertheless, for the interviewed, part of their business model and freedom in Software is not always the through collective innovation are hook that attracts the clients. Matters providing added value to their more such as lower costs, security, stability traditional products such as the and system flexibility, and amplitude transnational IBM. The array of of the implementation market within services offered by the companies is the limits of Free Software is also an also broad, especially when dealing important appeal that often surpasses with services of added value where the appeals of license terms. the expertise and knowledge on In this way, most inquired Free management models, and the needs Software based companies agreed that and particularities of every client are their competitiveness in the market is essential. based in quality and flexibility. Their The fact that a certain company is commercial attractive relates to their small is perceived as an advantage capabilities for delivering high added by most of the interviewed value products and services and for businesspeople. The manageable bringing this image to the consumer. size of the company is seen as a Some feel they have to change the possibility to be flexible, innovative current perception of the Free Software and creative in production processes. community and “hackers”. Also, the small size of the company One of the activities in the is often framed in a broader idea of communities still visualized as an community, where support and post- effective marketing strategy is events development market for their own organized around the topic of Free products amplifies. Software. IFSL in Porto Alegre, Brazil,

40 Voces libres de los campos digitales attracted more than 4000 people in offer the same. 2005; in a space that exhibited their Free Software based companies still face services, from micro-enterprises important challenges regarding image, to corporations. Free Software market and costumer relationships. commercial and non-commercial Many consider that “mid-range actors”, initiatives come together in these hence, technicians placed in companies events. With some exceptions, these and government, have been brought meetings occur peacefully in the name up in the licensed software model of common objectives. Nevertheless, and have some resistance towards the problem of losing ground to free models. Thus, the work of the commercial interests (especially clients goes through making good use in big corporations which have of the commercial advantages of an incorporated Free Software) brings added value service, the possibility of out the reflection among community offering better prices, the flexibility in members of regaining other spaces for adapting software… in order to start a sharing knowledge and developing collaborative dynamic with the client joint initiatives without commercial where the Free Software model exhibits interests necessarily getting in the its benefits. For instance, promoting way. collaboration instead of competition and allowing (even promoting) other Clients and Market companies to compete with their own products, creating trust in the client According to the people inquired, the knowing there will be no dependence region’s software market is basically on the supplier. government and companies. A minimum of isolated final users could be considered a market where Software Relationship with Community is a consumption good. Networks When basing their companies in a Based on the interviews it could be service model, they aim at longer-term affirmed that the greatest advantage relationships with clients than if they Free Software-based companies have is bought new software everyday. These counting on a network or community companies seek to create a service around them. The community becomes relationship with the client. Some an expansive market, a source of of them even insist that this model is innovation, a way of bettering and the only one sustainable in the local scaling up products, a field for testing ideas and versions and a source for market because Licensed Software qualified human resources. companies hoping to sell licenses have little possibilities of competing with Many of the inquired companies were transnational companies that basically formed from Free Software network

Voces libres de los campos digitales 41 spaces and continue in intense Another issue argued about on some relationship with them (assuming interviews is that there are Free leaderships in users´ groups, organizing Software based companies that take the events or collaborating economically, or code developed by the community for working in non-profit projects). People their own businesses, but do not return that make up enterprises and the new the investment, meaning, they do not human resources that incorporate them, collaborate on collective construction of frequently know and acknowledge each new software, new projects, or personal other by their merits or roles in the time for community contributions. It communities and for their contributions is even said that some companies give to software development through all the social or non-profit projects to “practice”. the community, but keep projects or clients who generate economic profit Some companies such as Open to themselves. Giving back to the Intelligence in Mexico operate as links community is considered key to the between developers who do not nourish model, and not doing it is strongly their more commercial dealer profile condemned within it.. and clients who need their services; providing the necessary infrastructure Strong Points and Points to be for facilitating said developers´ Strengthened exclusive dedication. According to this company, it also operates as mediator · Better understanding and between clients and a community often knowledge dissemination of a busi- stigmatized and associated with radical ness model based on services over or inflexible procedures. products. The management mo- del based on services differs from One of the tensions in the community, the product based management which is sometimes controversial, is the model. Until now in the Software perspective on “Open Source” or open industry, the product selling ma- root code, which prevails in the position nagement model is the one that of companies to detach from the has supposedly flourished the philosophical aspects of Free Software, most. Many differ, affirming that hoping to reach clients from exclusively the true market value has always commercial terms. On assuming the been around services´ added va- Open Source discourse and distancing lue accompanying software. More themselves from more abstract topics such understanding over implications as liberty and cooperatives, companies of both models and how service are perceived as competing using the model based management ope- same language as private companies rates is still necessary: where their based on licensed software, but offering profits come from, how these are the advantages of the model. managed and invested.

42 Voces libres de los campos digitales · Fomenting more service levels and · Alliances with networks and na- diversity in Free Software enter- tional or transnational actors. An prises. Most of those interviewed opportunity perceived by enterpri- state that it is necessary to encoura- ses is to merge, be it on a local, na- ge the creation of more volume and tional and international level. Some diversity in Free Software based en- see in certifications an opportunity terprises. For example, it is vital to to market their products ensuring ensure support and sustainability of quality standards and therefore see- the projects to generate trust among king alliances with the Linux Profes- customers. Those interviewed also sional Institute (LPI). Others have assure that the diversity in enter- seen in national articulation a huge source of benefits, such as Projecto prises could amplify the coverage Software Livre Brazil (more detailed in different existing and growing in the case study attached to this markets. For this reason, said en- investigation). Other enterprises, terprises must rely on management such as Opensa in Argentina, have tools and possibilities for providing merged with actors from different quality services. sectors seeking fair businesses that · Training in management admi- benefit both parties. nistration for new initiatives. To In general terms, most of the challenges assure that new initiatives are suc- for Free Software based enterprises are cessful it is necessary to go beyond common to software businesses from all innovative ideas in Software. Busi- countries in the region. Said enterprises ness management in Free Software face licensed software monopoly models is a challenge for which most people with big budgets for publicity, marketing in the community find themselves and lobbying. Within them, competition unfitting. From legal aspects to and collaboration are two key elements the formal creation of a company at stake when it comes to doing business in their country, to customer re- within the community. lationships, new enterprises come across a higher number of obstacles FREE SOFTWARE AS A that have nothing to do with tech- DEVELOPING TOOL IN SOCIAL nical capacities in Free Software or ORGANIZATIONS delivering adequate services. Be it One of the main interests of the research training in communities or incor- was to explore the vision of the social porating new people or developing organizations towards Free Software business-oriented organizations to and how they are incorporating it the projects, are things that would into their work and the fulfillment of bring great benefit to these new ini- their objectives. Nevertheless, the Free tiatives. Software issue is still new for most social

Voces libres de los campos digitales 43 organizations and answers couldn’t be social impact of their decisions. On the found for all of the questions stated at other hand, we find some indications the beginning of the research. of how the approach between social After a process adoption and movements that base their actions in appropriation of ICTs, during the last completely different fields is taking few years the interviewed organizations place, and how they are finding many are making instrumental usage of common grounds within Free Software Software and Hardware and have networks. managed to establish some capacities to improve their work. Free Software is a Free Software as a Tool of new challenge for them, a new variable Political Content that not only deals with technicalities, Representatives of social organizations but also with the principles by which that were interviewed for this the tool is constructed. investigation pointed out two angles Simultaneously, in several spaces (such from which their organizations approach as mailing lists, international forums, Free Software. etc.), Free Software networks are One is political and ideological affinity, claiming active participation in matters which has to do with freedom of approached by social organizations in knowledge and a higher access to ICTs. the region: digital inclusion, access to Choosing Free Software sometimes public information, transparency in the use of public funds, binding economy, occurs because of sympathy within etc. This results in them sharing more the organizations´ missions. From than one common space, which is not the interviews an appraisal could be conflict-free, but with great synergic recognized on the quest for an ethical potential. and legal response to the needs of the organization (assuming the effort of Relationships between social implementing change as a benefit to organizations and Free Software groups their own cause). are taking place on different levels and this becomes evident in the interaction. On the other hand, some organizations On one hand, we find information on observed have a more rationalist profile how organizations are incorporating when it comes to choosing their tools into the Free Software world and (in relation to costs, support and needs bridging with other communities –or not- for using free tools). This organized in different manners; how posture is enclosed by a pragmmatic and they are assuming FS in practical totally operative vision, over an initial organizational levels; what challenges agreement regarding a more appropriate and conflicts they are facing and what and legal alternative for organizations results are being observed, even in the with social purposes.

44 Voces libres de los campos digitales Regarding software as a tool is important Many of the interviewed organizations in order to understand this matter. Most have faced this process: internal and of these organizations approach software external requirements imposed the need in general as tool users. They do not see to switch to Free Software, not only for themselves as creators or participants what it stands for but because of the in the conception of software, but at practical advantages perceived. the receiving end of a finished product destined for fulfilling other tasks. In Bridging with the Free these terms, in spite of understanding Software World the political context in which Free Software is developed and acquired, it According to the information obtained is not an automatic process that confers in the region, for an organization political content to the tool and allows to adopt or develop Free Software it the choice of any given software based must come close to the community on ethical principles. Years of using networks. The ways in which this software in a completely operative contact develops are diverse, but context create demands from users that during the research it became evident there is a key element: people cannot be ignored despite the political “bridging” either from within the commitment to the free model. Free Software community or within Limited time and lack of resources with the organizations themselves bring which the interviewed organizations out the subject and actively dedicate often have to deal with, sometimes do not to promote it. allow concessions in apprenticeship time In practical terms, the arrival of and experimenting with new software Free Software is often mediated without interrupting vital processes for by connectivity possibilities. If in the organizations. That is specifically fact software can be found in space the issue: the social organizations outside the web, it is true that it’s the interviewed, as some of the sectors that communities of Free Software who must face change or migration from through the Internet offer the most licensed to free software, must upset the answers to conflicts that could appear least possible their everyday operations when implementing it. Information in and at the same time obtain economical general is available and often replaces and technical advantages from Free possible support providers frequently Software. This often delays deciding to regarded by users as inefficient. switch, although decision-makers are convinced of the technical and political From a less technical point of view, advantage of the tool. Many times, what many members of the interviewed defines making the decision is based on organizations participate in pressure mechanisms or practical needs communities and networks that (or even updating budgets). encourage joining the “movement”,

Voces libres de los campos digitales 45 beyond the possibilities of practical The Potential of the Technical use of their organizations or support Services’ Cooperative Market requirements. Both consulted groups: social organi- Relationships established between zations and Free Software groups, are social organizations in the region and seeing themselves as natural markets for networks with a technical profile, often cooperative services dealing with techno- produce additional efforts. One of the logy. Nevertheless, the natural alliance most frequently heard critics towards that is being discussed has not consolida- Free Software networks is precisely ted. According to them, the approach is the lack of interest or capability to slow but has lots of potential. communicate outside their own The lack of resources in software and groups. Anyhow, those interviewed hardware is a constant feature for the assure that there are other relationships consulted organizations, especially soft- that bring positive consequences in ware designed and adapted for the ac- their work as organizations. tivities they pursue. The possibility of paying off equipment by using it for a On occasions, technically-based longer time and with lighter software networks pursue creating links to that satisfies their concrete needs, or with relate with other sectors. Through systems that use older machines such as technical work initially, many people outdated terminals (light clients) are an from the community start becoming option that opens a different choice to qualified in ambits that interest constant updating and permanent con- them beyond their topics, such as sumption. Some of the people inquired cooperative enterprises, community saw great potential for solving small Free resources and many others. Software enterprises’ sustainability pro- Some of the inquired social blems and some problems of technical organizations became influenced order in social organizations. This poten- by the global contexts where their tial would be expressed in a commercial activities develop when it came to relationship based on non-dependence, making decisions involving software collective creation, fair exchange and a incorporation, and this can influence fair payment for services. the choice of a given tool. An example of this is the discussion on Free Challenges Conflicts and Software in the realm of the World Oppositions Conference for the Information According to the interviewed Society, a forum where several social organizations, oppositions have to do organizations became aware of the with a possible loss of some capacities matter of Free Software for the first and the loss of productivity in their tasks, time. also with lack of time for incorporating

46 Voces libres de los campos digitales new findings and the lack of resources received within the organizations. for training. A constant pressure for In general, when dealing with social not leaving urgent needs of the target organizations with objectives that population unattended, makes it somehow contemplate ICTs problematic, difficult to prioritize on the technology and their use and appropriation, the matters for their organizations. impacts were perceived by the target population in a higher degree. Other In the cases inquired, the previous sort of social organizations don’t visualize information gathering, training on new a short-term social impact more direct development tools and planning for than philosophical affinity, although switching to Free Software, are the most they do obtain better results in security, important factors to obtain positive stability and lower license costs. results. Nevertheless, most problems and oppositions found upon adopting Adopting Free Software generates Free Software in social organizations transformations inside the organization, (where users are not necessarily among them investing in the technical “advanced users”), are the same ones field (in terms of time and budget); found when a licensed technological which according to those interviewed tool is introduced. rarely occurs for any other reason. Most of the organizations consulted don’t Part of the difficulties mentioned by offer training programs in Licensed the organizations themselves, is on how Software to their staff; nonetheless, Free they became proficient in the use of a Software does require them to make that software tool. For instance, many of the investment. users learned to “write letters”, “prepare presentations” or “check e-mail”, but Outside the organizations, first impacts did not learn independently from a derived from changing software are just specific software, so all these actions begging to be sensed, especially in those to fulfill a task are strongly related to a organizations where their mission is graphic environment of a determined strongly related to ICTs. Nevertheless, software. New knowledge therefore adoption cases are recent and it is difficult consisted in understanding how a to see changes that transfer the benefits task such as surfing the Internet is not of Free Software to the target population necessarily attached to the program one directly. is accustomed to use. Approaches and Strategies Results and Sensed Social facing Common Objectives Impact Inquired social organizations The interviews evidence two types of acknowledge in general just a part of the impact: the one that might be received Free Software networks as a technically- by the target population and the one based movement, with social interests

Voces libres de los campos digitales 47 that through their philosophy be adopted that of the Brazilian Government, as their own. These organizations seemed have reached notoriety given the to know just parts of the networks, a magnitude of the enterprise that group of users or several projects and implies migrating one of the region’s through this perception categorized the biggest Public Administration Systems whole Free Software “community”. almost completely (a more detailed According to investigative experiences in study of the legal initiatives concerning the different countries, some common FS in Government is attached to this grounds and differences intertwine research and was done by the Alfa-Redi within social organizations and the Organization). branch of the Free Software networks Behind Free Software initiatives more oriented towards subjects such in Government there are several as digital inclusion and access to motivations, ideas and people information in free formats. What some promoting them. As in the other of the consulted social organizations share sectors, arguments vary from practical with some Free Software groups is the and economical elements to political underlying idea of viewing knowledge as arguments supporting or objecting the a social resource. There is the perception free model. This section aims to explore that freedom of knowledge and the some of the ideas gathered by the possibility of exercising the right to a free research team throughout the study. communication are part of a common philosophy that becomes a motivation Free Software use in Public for change and for the perception of Free Administration is one of the most Software as a means for emancipation. developed discussions by communities in the region. There are precedent Conversations and interviews held with forums and great amount of material different social organizations in the region written about it. Therefore, it didn’t evidence that these are approaching Free seem necessary to gather a compendium Software not only because it solves a of the initiatives, but to underline some practical problem, but because they opinions that weren’t evident at the identify themselves with the model and beginning of the research: the fact that have interest in its complementary points this implementation is being done with and working topics. or without public policies, the favorable or unfavorable conditions for this to Free Software experiences in happen, the perspectives on mandatory Government use of Free Software in Government, Latin America and the Caribbean have the strategies (some more successful had several experiences in implementing than other), and the concern around Free Software in different levels of the imminence of a second stage after Government. Some projects, such as implementation.

48 Voces libres de los campos digitales Decisions from “below” or Software promoters’ participation in “above” their workplaces and houses. If indeed political support is acknowledged as The notorious cases of adoption and necessary for doing so, it’s true that development of Free Software in reaching Municipalities, especially those Government, with their positive and/ in the heartland, has a greater overtake. or negative consequences, are those in which decisions have been done in Technicians who are part of the Free the highest stratums. Nevertheless, Software community said they have according to the information obtained possibilities of affecting technical levels in the interviews, it is not at this level and starting a transformation “from that all the concerning decisions below”, proving the functionality and are being taken. The technical level operative qualities of the tool along with of technology implementation in economy and security arguments, for Government has acquired a position example. According to them, although of power in terms of deciding what the political decision is not taken software and hardware are appropriate within hierarchic practical stratums, for Public Administration. Free Software is being implemented practically, without a policy with regards Among the cases where Free Software to it being visible or explicit. is assumed as national policy, the most outstanding to the date are Brazil and Venezuela. In both cases it was found by Favorable Conditions interviewing the actors in said countries Countries that have implemented that the political process to defend Free policies “from above” regarding Free Software in Government was supported Software have their particularities. by the networks and community, According to the people inquired, it is not and some leaders from within had an suitable to say that the implementation important role not only in taking the of Free Software in Costa Rica’s National issue to the negotiation table, but also Government (where organization in encouraging a better understanding levels in the community are still on the Free Software issue in the public basic), can be compared to greater sphere and giving it priority in the scale implementations in Brazil, where Government’s technological agenda. the community is highly organized and permeates into different layers of According to those interviewed, government. Municipalities and other autonomous organizations, which have an estimated Some people within the Free Software limited budget for local use, are networks sense a stronger political within the spaces where the decision approach to the subject that is more of adopting Free Software becomes strongly based on context, where new a good idea; activated through Free actors and social movements are coming

Voces libres de los campos digitales 49 closer to public administration from Perspectives on Enforced new perspectives that differ to those of Application traditional political groups. In the semi-structured survey a question According to the interviewed, a was included for better understanding condition regarded as necessary for the different perspectives on norms that Free Software initiatives to bloom some local and national governments and develop in government, is the are encouraging in terms of the possibility of generating multi-sector mandatory use of Free Software in networks involving all sectors, working Public Administration. under the communities´ models. These In regards to the question of if a Law networks are vital for generating ideas, that promotes the use or development developing proposals and creating of Free Software in government is influence. Networks with diverse pertinent, diverse answers were found, actors guarantee that it will be possible many of which are related to the sector to implement efforts in support, from where the interviewed positioned training and administration for new themselves to answer and with the users. According to the interviewed, processes that are being developed in institutional efforts have to be endorsed their respective countries. by the possibility of generating services In general terms (excluding non Free (this very condition is mentioned in Software based enterprises that promote this research’s section on conditions in new technological neutrality and the region for the use and development minimum government intervention of Free Software). in the so called “Software Industry”), For some of the interviewed, the it was possible to identify two implementation of a Free Software policy differentiated postures. On one hand, in an area of public administration is there are those who assure that a Law inserted within a general policy on ICTs promoting enforced application would that has to do not only with software, be self-defeating and generate rejection. but with information management, This, because in the region, laws are public information and data protection often violated and also because many policies, intellectual property, etc. estimate that conscious adoption is the Many times this more tolerant policy best means for real appropriation. is still inexistent, thus the effort for On the other hand, there are those implementing Free Software must who support Law incorporation. This be carried along with the effort to fill group states a difference between institutional gaps in other matters, “enforcement” and “unplanned”, and which increases the difficulty and that it is possible to put a migration complexity of the process. into successful practice towards Free

50 Voces libres de los campos digitales Software in government. This must be encourages collectiveness. done in an organized way and with the In the same way, those interviewed agreed necessary conditions for maintaining that total migrations operate only in very the initiative through time beyond specific cases. Normally they establish in government terms, through creating several levels so they can progressively consciousness in the process. take the place of investments done on Where there is in fact an agreement Licensed Software.. is in the idea that governments must take into account public policies Training and Support on acquisition over those services most needed, focusing on the good These detailed plans, adapted to each use of contributors´ money and the institution, have an essential component transparency in government actions, in training strategies and support that and the encouraging and development can respond to demands to avoid the of technologies. interruption of vital functions. Many institutions begin by providing new Successful Strategies training to their personnel that will implement the measures from technical In the creation and implementation levels. of Government policies around Free Software, some strategies have been more In the section on the conditions of the successful than others. Implementations region for Free Software appropriation, have been varied and at different levels, training and support are mentioned and in general some characteristics that as conditions that allow successful in broad terms have given good results implementation in all sectors. According stand out. to the interviewed, implementing training plans in Government (not Planning and Progressive Migration only technically, but in management and administration) in order to deal Essentially all those interviewed agreed with new technological solutions on migrations being a complex planning acquires different dimensions in terms process where not only factors as software of decision-making and bureaucratic and hardware intervene, but also including processes. a financial and operative strategy that allows the necessary adjustments for Financing using Free Software in a way that does not interrupt organizational processes. The people interviewed affirm that Free This does not exclude a detailed strategy Software implementation strategies on sensitizing all institutional levels, cannot only be based in the will of and as some the interviewed mention, the institutions. As any strategy for generating an “information culture” that change and innovation in the area of

Voces libres de los campos digitales 51 Information and Technology, the effort also start becoming evident in the required to switch to Free Software implementation. demands an important investment for allowing executing agile, effective Brazil is the country in the region plans. Without this investment, the with more extensive experience in interviewed agree, cost cuts from the implementation of Free Software licenses are surpassed when facing real in Public Administration. Venezuela costs for adapting hardware, training is starting a massive and ambitious and providing support. Investment migration program on Government, made on Free Software pays out, but and countries as Argentina and Chile not immediately. have some well-developed strategies. This financing also means investing in Each country has different levels of the community and FS networks, when relationship with the community and resources are directed to companies the local Free Software networks. that provide software adaptation, training and support, and personalized After creating a strategy, the application solutions. in different levels and the struggles for Results of Investing in the Community implementing change, governments and institutions face other issues that In a short to medium term, some lead them to keep up with the progress experiences on implementation begin that has been made and the invested to evidence results that encourage resources. Those interviewed from the consulted institutions to expand their plans towards Free Software or different sectors indicated the challenge to restate their strategies according to of evidencing a success through factors challenges. such as cost cutting, flexibility and security, to enter a second stage where, An initial aspect is improving technical quality itself, the possibility of accessing more than saving, Government must the code and changing it means a start investing back in the Free Software qualitative leap for many of those community to ensure innovation and interviewed. Also, cost related benefits sustainability of the systems.

52 Voces libres de los campos digitales Complementary Analysis

Voces libres de los campos digitales 53 s part of the process to butor for GNU/Linux. Stephan is part obtain results, the research of the Koubmit workers´ collective and team carried on an extensive is obtaining a Masters degree in Com- Aanalysis of data regarding the munication at the University of Quebec variables and sub-variables established in at Montreal (UQAM). the Big Chart. This analysis resulted in Beatriz Busaniche does a critical analy- the document “Final Research Report”, sis on the conclusions of the investi- an extensive document elaborated gation, and proposes a different vision March 2006. of the Free Software community, from A first draft of this document (available other referents or actors. Beatriz is part in the CD attached to this publication) of the Vía Libre Foundation and works was sent to five leading persons in the in commitment with the Free Software Free Software community of the re- Foundation of Latin America (FSLLA). gion. Diego Saravia from Salta University and Also, the document was read and com- founder of the UTUTO Project in Ar- mented on by the research team and gentina, makes a comment on the issue some counterparts. Comments, criti- of Free Software, framed in a broader cism, observations and corrections of debate on freedom of knowledge and its the first version were numerous and relationship with fundamental matters important, and are incorporated to the for the region. extent of our possibilities into the atta- José Luis Chiquete, president of the ched version. Mexican Free Software Association From the reading of this first draft, the (AMESOL), presents an outlook on authors elaborated a short article with Free Software networks in Mexico, es- their most important considerations, pecially in their relationship to private concerns, perspectives and proposals enterprises. regarding matters on Free Software for Mario Teza, one of the leaders of Pro- their countries and the region in gene- yecto Software Libre in Brazil and one ral. We consider that both critics and of the ideologists of the Free Software dissents, as well as common points are community in that country makes a valuable to understand the complex pa- comment on the role of community norama of Free Software in Latin Ame- in the Free Software ecosystem. Mario rica. Teza´s text has been used as a preface for Stephane Couture presents a case study this publication. on UTUTO-e, Latin American distri-

54 Voces libres de los campos digitales Building the GNU project: Ututo 100% free A case study of an Argentinian GNU/ Linux distribution* Stéphane Couture, Université du Québec à Montréal

* This case study is also available in French as part of the author studies in the program of the Master of Comunication Studies in the UQAM. For more information, please contact Mr. Couture: [email protected] Introduction with an ethnographic observation made both online and during some events in This case study constitutes one of two which Ututo members were participa- case studies done in the context of a ting. Finally, I analyzed the web site of research conducted by the Latin Ame- the project and familiarized myself with rica and Caribbean Office of Bellanet. the Ututo system. The research had 3 initial objectives: to identify key actors working on the issue After presenting a brief introduction of FLOSS in the region, to extract the to the theoretical approach used in the lessons learned and experiences of diffe- context of this work, this paper will rent sectors (government, civil society, be divided in fours parts. On the first academic sector, private enterprise) and part, I will describe the historical deve- to create a common agenda with com- lopment of Ututo with a focus on the mon interests and fundamental needs alliances that were made in the making of these actors. of the project. On the second part, I will expose the organizational structu- This case study describes Ututo, the first re of the team as well as the financial GNU/Linux distribution still recogni- mechanisms. The third part will explo- zed by the Free Software Foundation re the way actors involved with Ututo as totally free, and the first Argentinian are seeing their action as a political ac- distribution. Ututo plays an important tion. Finally, the last part of the text symbolic role in Latin America and will expose different lines of work that many of the important actors of free the members consider important to put software in this region are involved in efforts in the future of Ututo. the project. I hope that this work can provide the The theoretical approach of this work reader with a better understanding of tries to mix the constructivist approach Ututo and the dynamics of free software in the study of technologies with a more communities. critical perspective. While the construc- tivist approach in technology challenges A socio-technical approach in the autonomy and neutrality of techno- the study of technology logy, the critical approach searches for possible alternatives to existing social The weakness of technology situations. A significant division of labor in our On the methodological side, this work societies has separated the ones who is mainly based on the analysis of six create science and technologies with interviews made with actors involved the ones who use them. Those who with Ututo in different perspectives: create technologies are engineers and developers, contributors, business par- scientists, those who try to make so- tners, users. I further enriched my data cial choices about their use are people

56 Voces libres de los campos digitales from humanities and social sciences. celebrated or blamed, preserved an This disciplinary division in our uni- autonomous dynamic, separated from versities between “exact sciences” and the social life which it was invading “social sciences” is significant in the more and more (Ellul, 1964). division of this labor. In “exact scien- In his philosophy of techniques, the ce” programs, such as computer engi- french philosopher Gilbert Simon- neering, one finds only very little “so- don wondered about this weakness cial” teaching which could bring the of the contemporary culture regar- student to develop a critical thinking ding techniques, weakness which for about the technical activity he is doing. him, was rooted in this modern on- On the other side, a good number of tological distinction made between students of social sciences and huma- social life and technique (Simondon, nities only have vague and elementary 1969) but also in the ignorance of notions of computer science even if the way technologies were built. To they spend their entire working life in go beyond this weakness, Simondon front of a computer screen. This divi- affirms that the culture must become sion of labor is significant of a deeper aware of the human reality which ontological division between social lies in technical reality; technology life and technical rationality and is must be regarded as the other cultu- to be taken seriously into account for ral aspect of beingeing in the world. One its roots in the definition of moder- can find todayy tracestraces of nity. For thinkers of modernity such Simondon’s ideaseas withinwithin as Weber, what distinguishes modern significant currentsrrents of technologies from pre-modern tech- thought in sociologyciology nologies (such as artisans) is the fact which seeks to ex- that modern technical development is plore the close rrela-ela- somewhat autonomous and dictated tionships betweenween by a universal rationality which is se- culture and so-so- parated from the irrationality of social ciety on one sideside and cultural life. This separation bet- and science andand ween social life and technical rationa- technology on thethe lity was largely exacerbated following other side. Se- the Second World War by a wind of veral researchershers technological determinism within the took as a startinging po-po- “humanities” disciplines. Technology int these ideas to buildbuild either was celebrated for its capacity a new frameworkork of analy-analy- “to modernize us”, or blamed for the sis allowing too studystudy these cultural crisis and the fact that reason relationships. My ownown inves-inves- was getting irrational (Horkheimer, tigation is stronglyongly inspiredinspired in 1947). Technology, whether it was this current of thought.thought.

Voces libreses ddee llosos campos ddigitalesigitales 5757 A constructivist approach and progressive here: the technical object is not developed solely by autonomous The constructivist perspective in the stu- rationality, but it is rather modeled ac- dy of technology is an alternative which cording to power relationships between makes it possible to overcome this se- the actors. On the methodological level, paration between technique and socie- these researchers postulate that it is du- ty. This approach postulates that there ring sociotechnical controversies, at the is a dynamic, unstable and permanent moment of their construction, that the connection between the extremes of te- technical devices are clear to the study chnology and social environment. Any by the anthropologist or the sociologist technical object carries the prints of so- (Callon, 1986). When the debates are cial and power relations which underlie closed, the object becomes a black box it and, at the same time, the technical di- which cannot be analyzed any more. In mension crosses more and more onto so- a text entitled “The prince for machines cial forms (Proulx, 2000). The notion as well for machinations”, Latour uses of sociotechnical is used in this approach Machiavel’s concepts to demonstrate the to emphasize that the world cannot be political importance of understanding understood solely from a social point of how the social and the technical are defi- view, or solely from a technological point ned through the same strategies: of view. It should instead be approached from different perspectives: technology “If science and techniques are poli- or social is never “just” technical or “just” tics pursued by other means, then social. the only way to pursue democracy is to get inside science and technology, Actor-network theory (ANT), most- that is, to penetrate where society and ly developed by the french researchers science are simultaneously defined Bruno Latour and Michel Callon falls through the same strategies. This is under this constructivist approach and where the new Princes stand. This is offers a theoretical and methodologi- where we should stand if the Prince cal framework adapted to seize the in- is to be more than a few individuals, terrelation of society and technology. if it is to be called ‘the People’.” (La- Tuomi has later used ANT to describe tour,1988). the development of the Linux kernel (Tuomi, 2001). In this approach, tech- Similarly, Andrew Feenberg developed nology is not apprehended as a block a critical theory of technology inspi- box “thrown” in the society. It is on the red by this constructivist approach and contrary in the process of construction by the work of Francfort’s school. He of the technical object, starting from the criticizes the neutrality and autonomy statement of the project, that this model of technology from the social sphere: “ studies. The activity of innovation and Modern technology is no more neutral technological development is collective than medieval cathedrals or The Great

58 Voces libres de los campos digitales Wall of China; it embodies the values of Some people later took back the deve- a particular industrial civilization and es- lopment of Ututo to make a router and pecially of its elites, which rest their clai- named it Ututo-R. Unlike the first ver- ms of hegemony on technical mastery “ sion, all the software was now free and (Feenberg, 2004). By posing the techno- compiled. This system has been used logy as a cultural and social construction, by many schools in the city of Buenos Feenberg points out the need to develop Aires to prevent children from viewing a cultural critic of technology. websites that could negatively influence The development of free software, and them. The choice to use Ututo-R was specifically Ututo, appears to me to be a initially justified financially, by the sa- good space to study situations where the vings brought by not paying license fees technical and the social sphere are defi- when using free software. ned simultaneously. My objective in the Solar 2.0: to make old computers work context of this research is to seize situa- tions of hybridization between technical In parallel to these initiatives and during and social spheres. I hope, in this work, the same period, many free software to contribute to a better understanding activists were starting to organize the- of the social nature of technology and mselves for the promotion of free soft- the extent to which technological choice, ware both on the technical and social even small ones, mask the reality of social perspective. SOLAR (SOftware Libre choices which are sometimes of crucial ARgentina), originally named organi- importance. sarnos, a civil association whose activi- ties are mainly based in Buenos Aires, Historical perspective and ASLE (Field for Free Software in the State) a similar support group ac- Ututo and Ututo-R ting from inside the Argentinian state, played an important role in the develo- The first version of Ututo was created in pment of Ututo. 2000 by Diego Saravia of the Universi- dad de la Salta, in Argentina. It was one In January 2004, ASLE approached the of the first “live” systems to function members of SOLAR in order to crea- starting from a CD-ROM. Its purpose te a free desktop workstation which was to make it possible to the students could work on the very diverse types of to use at home some solar energy simula- computers owned by the State, some of tion software then only working on Unix which had weak hardware capacity. The workstations. This version of Ututo was idea was that the State would develop its more a mix of various free softwares than own computer system and thus be more a fully compiled, autonomous distribu- independent from software suppliers. tion. Its maintenance ceased a little af- The objective of both groups was to en- terwards with the apparition of other “ courage the use of free software within Live “ systems such as Knoppix. the Argentinian administration.

Voces libres de los campos digitales 59 Two developers of Buenos Aires, Daniel things they have are technical merits. Olivera and Pablo di Napoli accepted You can join this great technical merit the challenge and developed a desktop I always thought I needed to a clear named ASLE-Solar which included the political position and good technical four basic office applications: naviga- development. “ tor, text processing, spreadsheets and “So my idea was to join a strong po- email client. After a few months, the litical position I enjoyed with a tech- development unfortunately stopped nical position that could rival other and the idea got lost. systems, especially with Windows. I After this experience, Olivera and di Na- said that I wasn’t going to convince a poli decided to create their own GNU/ user to speak of freedom if we didn’t Linux distribution, which they initially technically support it. The user may named Solar 2.0. Taking up the ideas of be convinced, but we have to support ASLE-Solar, the objective was to build it so the user can have a strong con- a user friendly computer system which viction..” was able to work on different types of Ututo-e 100% free computers, especially old ones. But ins- tead of using low resource applications, Diego Saravia, who created the first it would be done in some distribution version of Ututo had also been enga- such as Debian-NP or Dyne:Bolic, the ged for several years in promoting free strategy here was to provide different software on a more political level. The sets of binaries specifically optimized work done on Solar .0, especially its for many different hardware architectu- political dimension, drew his attention res. Technically, this new distribution and brought him to propose the rena- was a precompiled distribution of Gen- ming of the new distribution from Solar too, an older GNU/Linux distribution. to Ututo. This pact made it possible for The idea behind Solar 2.0 was to make the new distribution to benefit from the a strong distribution from a technical recognition already acquired by Ututo point of view, but to facilitate its use and the social capital of its creator. After by the common users, and to give it a Ututo and Ututo-R, the new distribu- strong political dimension: tion was named Ututo-e (e for escrito- rio, the Spanish term for desktop). “I always saw a lot of advantages in Gentoo from a technical point of view Another alliance of the same type oc- but a lot of disadvantages from the curred in 2004, this time with the Free free software point of view. To Gentoo Software Foundation (FSF). There has free software is not of direct interest. always been controversies around the It allows anything, if it can run the presence of non-free software, such as Windows kernel it will. They don’t Netscape or StarOffice, within GNU/ care about free software. The only Linux distributions like Ututo. The

60 Voces libres de los campos digitales project to carry out a distribution which an important dimension in the local would contain only free softwares exis- context: it is the first Argentinian dis- ted since the first version of the distri- tribution. bution but was made reality in Ututo- R. It became a policy in Ututo-e. This Internal organization and policy dictates that only free software project sustainability should be included in the distribution Core team and contributors and that there should not be any repo- sitory of non-free software provided by The renaming of Solar 2.0 to Ututo and the project, as it is the case in Debian. after this, the support given by Richard Stallman and the Free Software Founda- This policy adopted by Ututo team tion quickly made Ututo known in the brought Richard Stallman to recognize Argentinian community of free software Ututo-e as a completely free software and led many people to adhere to the distribution. Ututo arrived at a good project. In June 2005, forty two people moment because the leader of the free were registered on the main mailing list software movement had an urgent need of Ututo. To organize effectively the for a completely free distribution to re- collaboration and the decision process, commend at the time of his multiple an organizational division, rather com- interventions. This alliance was also mon in free software communities, was obviously beneficial for Ututo for two created between the core team, which reasons: first, on the promotion level, includes the most active people in the it helped increase its users and contri- project, and the contributors, which in- butors base. Second, because the FSF cludes the people little or not active. decided to bring material support to the team by providing a server dedicated At the time of writing, about twenty for downloading and by financing the people were part of the core team. Al- connectivity at the residence of Daniel though this is mostly an indicative rule, Olivera, the main actor of the project. a six month period as an active con- Finally, it gave a strong identity and po- tributor is necessary before being allo- litical dimension to the project, dimen- wed within the core team. This adhe- sion that will however require further sion must also be proposed by another member and accepted by the whole of commitment and additional technical the core team. The most significant pri- work. vilege to this group is the right to vote Today, the Ututo-e distribution can be in the case of litigious issues or when defined by four characteristics: it is a new members are accepted in the core completely free distribution; it works team. Also, only the members of the on various types of computers, inclu- core team are entitled to represent Utu- ding old ones; it is a computer system to officially, situation which has been designed for the common user. Finally, problematic in the past when there was

Voces libres de los campos digitales 61 a need for representation far from Bue- website facilitates the discussion for the nos Aires. users, but also includes more restricted In the case of litigious debates which functionalities to enable voting. A wiki cannot be solved by consensus, any is also used by the team to carry out member of the core team can ask for outlines of projects or to comment on a vote. The controversies are generally already existing functionalities. related to political alliances with other Financing associations, more than purely technical decisions. Following the call for a vote Some expenses are assumed by organiza- (for resolving controversies or accepting tions which financially support the pro- new members), a one week deadline is ject. The Free Software Foundation for granted to discuss or require more ex- instance pays for the cost of connectivity planations. All comments and interven- at the residence of Daniel Olivera, the tions have to be made on the web site in leader of the project. As it is often the order to keep archives of the discussions case in free software communities, many around the decisions. Although this is institutions around the world contribute the procedure recognized officially, in to the project by setting “mirror servers” practice most of the decisions, especia- for downloading the distribution. At lly the technical ones, are made on a the time of writing there were nine such merit-basis, the lead developer usually servers online for Ututo. Other money having the last word. contributions are also made by private individuals, or groups like Free Software Any person who requests it is genera- Foundation or Hipatia. lly recognized as a contributor to the project. The contributors can execute Most of the work within Ututo is carried all tasks, except of course those related out on a voluntary basis. The leader of to decision making and representation the project currently dedicates himself that are restricted to the core team, as voluntarily and full-time to the project: described previously. Although about “A lot of my time is required. In fact, I thirty contributors are officially registe- dedicate some 16 hours a day to this. red on the list, less than ten seem really Not every day though, there are some active. days that I go out, but on the days that I work, I do so for 16 hours developing The list [email protected] (now utu- for Ututo.” [email protected]) constitutes the main communication channel for the In an article on the role of women in te- project. Other lists also exist for more chnological development, Wajcman no- specific tasks, for instance about the tes the tendency of socio-technical stu- compilation process, or the new Radio- dies (like this one) to stick to the visible Ututo. In periphery of this list, various actors and to neglect those who are less online tools are also used. The Ututo visible in a network (Wajcman, 2002).

62 Voces libres de los campos digitales Taking her criticism into account, we the digital gap between the countries would like to highlight here the perso- because all its users can have access to nal investment of the people working a system without paying exorbitant in Ututo, as well as the indirect but still costs or being in a situation of illegali- significant contribution made by their ty. In the same way, in the specific case close relatives in the development of the of Ututo, accessibility also relates to software. One respondent mentioned the possibility of using old machines, that all his children are doing their ho- consequently, to make use of a modern mework using Ututo, thus playing more operating system, without necessarily or less the role of a software tester. paying for expensive hardware. Several other arguments go in the di- The political dimension of rection of a better control of techno- Ututo logy. Free Software is seen as the way Callon and Latour postulate that ca- to allow the end-user to control in a tegories such as political and technical better way his technology, and to libe- are not made up a priori. The stakes rate him from monopolistic control. of socio-technical debates are above More specifically, the use of software all in the redefinition, by the actors, covered by the General Public license of concepts such as social, technical (GPL) guarantees that it won’t later or political. When the debates beco- be “ closed “ by the corporation who me purely technical, they are already created it. For the user of Ututo, free closed: “the controversies become software constitutes an alternative to really technical only when the power dominating computer systems, and its relationships between the actors and construction is a way of liberating the the names of the possible winners are cyberspac: known” (Callon, 1981). Taking this point of view, I will assume that the “I believe it is an alternative system actors really take part in the creation and movement to those privative of the categories they mention. I will systems, which tries to generate cy- then try to highlight here the moments ber-space freedom, this, as an alter- in which the actors themselves define native to the only one known world- their activities as being political. wide which is Microsoft“. Getting involved in Ututo Why free software? It is a thing to use or even develop the The social relevance granted to free GNU/Linux system, it is another to give software by people interviewed can be an ethical or political dimension to this ac- situated between two poles: accessibili- tivity. Adhesion to the idea of freedom of ty and technological control. software, as defined by the Free Software Free software constitutes a way to cut Foundation, seems clear to all the members

Voces libres de los campos digitales 63 of Ututo. What brings people to involve am the national founder of a central themselves in Ututo and, in a more general left-winged party, so yes, politics have way, to politicize their technical activities? always interested me.“ It seems that we can draw a general con- On the other hand, most of respon- clusion that the majority of people invol- dents point out that free software is not ved in Ututo initially used Linux or other something necessarily progressive: “ To Unix-like systems for technical reasons first tell you the truth, the GNU is not rela- and later got interested more specifically in ted to the traditional political issue itself. the political dimension of Free Software. A lot of people have a tendency towards Someone mentioned the use free software this ideology. Now, from my point of view, like emacs, ftpmail and gcc well before his it’s something of a coincidence that these first contact with Linux in 1993. In the people have these ideologies and that they same way, another respondent mentioned choose this software“. If the politics of the approach to free software from a poli- free software is not something prima- tical point of view only after a few years of rily progressive, it seems that people using and developing GNU/Linux. interviewed identify themselves to this The organizations whose mission is to pro- ideological tendency, which probably mote free software both from a technical contributes to their “ technical politi- and a sociopolitical point of view play a zation“. significant role in the involvement of the Using Ututo people in Ututo. A respondent mentions that his first political activity related to free The case of the implementation of Ututo software was in 2003, by the intermedia- within Consejo Deliberante of Moron, ry of SOLAR. Hipatia is another orga- a municipality located in periphery of nization, very active on the political level, Buenos Aires, also shows similar charac- which brought people to get involved in teristics, but on a more collective level. Ututo. Following the election of a new admi- Several people mentioned their affinity nistration for the deliberating council, with a more progressive political position: a whole process of computerization was put in place and it was decided to use “Yes, there was a political background free software, initially Red Hat, then from my side, because I am a marxist, Ututo. If the choice to use free software left-winged. There’s a certain question rather than proprietary software was be- that has to do with freedom.“ fore everything an economical choice, it “I am of an open left-wing thought, is interesting to note that it was taken and various people involved in the Li- by a rather progressive administration in nux World, not only in software, but in the context of a policy of greater citizen Linux in general, I know are too. “ participation in municipality affairs. “Well, I was in a political party, I In addition, even if the choice of Utu-

64 Voces libres de los campos digitales to was initially based on an economical Politics and technology inside free issue, the political dimension of free software software grows with its use. A worker of the Consejo Deliberante of Moron The ethical and political aspect is at the described free software in this way: base of all the technical work of the pro- ject. The central idea of Ututo is to carry “ I think it is a system and an alterna- out a 100% free distribution, but which tive movement to the privative systems, can, in use, constitute a concrete alter- that tries to generate liberty within cy- native to systems like MS-Windows: to berspace, this as an alternative to the convince a user to adopt a free software, only one known worldwide which is it is not enough to speak to him or her Microsoft. It seems to me that in Ar- about freedom but also that free soft- gentina everything is very Microsoft. It ware can be used effectively, then to in- is an alternative, a different proposal tegrate the user in the network of Ututo that seeks to open the network to other and then into free software. In a sym- cheaper, more accesible and freer sys- metric way, to make people aware of the tems. “ ethical aspects of the project, it is not In addition, a press release emitted by enough to give them a free computer Consejo Deliberante finishes as follow: system, but it is also necessary that the “ The current software - Ututo-e – whi- ethical dimension be strongly inscribed ch the Concejo Deliberante de Morón in the technical object and all aspects of uses is recommended by the Northame- its development: rican programmer and maximum ex- “The most important part is that there ponent in the free software revolution, be a political background, and knowing Richard Matthew Stallman. “ why a system hardly used is chosen. And We can thus raise some interesting only when you are convinced, can you aspects to describe this process where convince others. So, my idea was to users and developers give a political di- join a strong political position with a mension to free software through their technical position that could rival other relationship with Ututo: the contact systems, especially Windows.“ with free software was not initially For many, the main social contribution done under an ethical or political angle of Ututo is to ensure the existence of a but people interviewed were already completely free software system. Ututo politicized and generally hold progre- acts here as a symbol of the success of ssive positions. It should also be noted the idea of free software: “ I relieve that that several of the developers got in- the main contribution of Ututo is that it volved in Ututo through organizations be the free software that will be recognized such as Solar or Hipatia, which focus this way“. on the social and political aspects of free software. The political activity of these actors thus

Voces libres de los campos digitales 65 consists in developing a free computer new packages. To complete this work, system that is easy enough to use by the the developer chose to use the “ bash “ common user. The political activity language, which can be directly read by here is embedded in the technical acti- the computer without being translated vity, and each technical micro-decision in binary, unlike a compliable language as well as the resulting technologies are such as C or C++. This choice is before tinted from this normative perspective. everything justified by the fact that this The integration of OpenOffice in the way of programming, which does not distribution is a good example of this separate the source code from the com- amalgalm between political and tech- puter code, appears more “free”: nical aspects. This software uses the “What I like best is to work with script Java interpreter for some of its tasks al- because it gives me a feeling of being though Java is not a free software. It freer, because one can know just by loo- was thus necessary to carry out some king at the text, know how the progra- operations to initially separate Java from mme one is using works” OpenOffice and then to integrate the software in the distribution. The next The inscription of the values of free version of OpenOffice is however pro- software in the technical device blematic since it integrates Java much The concepts of inscription and affor- more largely in its implementation. It dance allow us to explain how the va- will thus be very difficult to keep a free lues of free software are inscripted in the version of OpenOffice in Ututo unless Ututo distribution. The concept of “ a lot of work is put into it. Determina- inscription “ was introduced by Made- tion to remain free remains strong, as laine Akkrish to show where the techni- one of the members of the team affirms cal object was “inscribed” in the practice: it: “OpenOffice will be left out until in the body of the user by the recourse an interpreter exists that can create free to intermediaries (instructions, instru- access without a doubt.” This choice ments, appendixes, socialized forms of to remove OpenOffice from Ututo is training). (Akkrish 1993, Millerand therefore not technically justified. It is 1998). To center the attention on the about a technical choice motivated by material aspect of the object rather than dimensions which go beyond the tech- the symbolic system of use surrounding nical sphere. it, Bardini, using cognitive psycholo- The politics of free software also ins- gy, proposes to replace this notion of pire other technical choices, but in a inscription by the one of affordance, a more subtle way. In order to facilita- property of the objects or a property of te the update of the system, a member the immediate environment which in- of the team developed software which dicates how one can interact with the offers a graphical interface to install technical object (Bardini, 1996). Two

66 Voces libres de los campos digitales Definition – Proyect Ututo-e

1. UTUTO-e is and always will be a project in the GNU philosophy frame. 2. UTUTO-e and all developments are distributed only and exclusively under the GPL-2 license and the contents of the site and documents are under the FDL license, both in agreement to the GNU Proyect. 3. UTUTO-e is and will be a project based on community work. It does not aspire to become an enterprise or institution or depend on a single person. 4. All project decisions must be voted on by its members. The majority’s vote will always be the path to follow for the project and its members. 5. Any member not willing to vote, will accept by omission the majority’s verdict, giving up on any right to make a claim. 6. New members must be introduced by active members of the project, who will evaluate the member before the rest of the Ututo-e community. Those who approach the project will have to remain from six to twelve months before his or her admission as a member can be voted on, which will be evaluated as merit and compromise based. 7. The admittance of new members must count on all members’ approval. The options YES and NO indicate “agree” or “not agree” to the membership. The third choice is DENIAL, which means an active member is conditioning his or her remain in the Ututo-e project with the admittance of the new member. The existence of one single vote in this position, cancels the voting and the admittance of the aspiring member. 8. The exclusion of a member must be presented by another member and voted on by the community. Membership is voluntary, as is withdrawal. 9. UTUTO-e may only contain software packages that are GPL or Licenses that express the possibility of practicing the four free software freedoms expressed by the GNU Project. 10. All packages in UTUTO-e must guarantee the four freedoms expressed in the GPL License and the GNU project in any of its versions.

Voces libres de los campos digitales 67 elements appear interesting to look at to cess to computers, while respecting the understand this inscription of the value order of his superiors, he chose the pas- of free software in Ututo: the instructio- sword “enter” to do so. The choice of ns on the web site, and the installation this same default password, for Ututo, of Ututo. is a direct reference to this moment of On the Web site, one can find ten ru- the life of Stallman. The highly symbo- les defining the Ututo project (see next lic nature of this small decision is ano- page). It can be noticed that four of ther example of a small technical choice these rules define the adhesion to the that goes beyond the solely technical GNU project and the philosophy of Ri- sphere. chard Stallman, his founder. The other rules define the non-commercial and Challenge and future of the democratic character of the project. By project publicly exposing the rules of adhesion Based on the interviews we made in June and operation of the project, Ututo also 2005, we will try to emphasis some axis breaks with the usually closed character of future work on both a technical and of the technical device and offers to the social level. public the image of a network of inno- Technical perspective vators united on a democratic basis. The installation of Ututo is also rich One of the broad objectives of Ututo is with references to the politics of free to offer a system that can be used with software. Contrary to many distribu- older and less powerful computers but tions, one does not install Linux here, that it is also as easy to use as the more but the GNU (Ututo XS GNU Sys- widely adopted systems. A lot of work tem). After indicating that all the par- has already been done in facilitating the ts of the system are distributed under installation of the system, in particu- the GPL license one finds in each page lar by the creation of a more convivial of installation many references to the graphic interface for the installation. GNU project. But usability remains a weak point, not only for Ututo but for all the Linux sys- Another symbolic reference to the poli- tems. Not surprisingly, the majority of cy of Richard Stallman is this time ins- the respondents affirm that most of the cribed in the default configuration of technical efforts should be put in usage the system: the default “root” password issues. For instance, work still needs to is “enter” (it is specified in the installa- be done to allow the user or the network tion process: “enter “ is the word and administrator to manage easily and in an not the key). Stallman, then employed intuitive matter the computer system. at MIT, was asked to put passwords to Simple image details, such as the default protect the access to the computers. To colors for the buttons or the introduc- remain faithful to its policy of free ac- tion splash page must be thought ade-

68 Voces libres de los campos digitales quately. A user that we interviewed also sell Ututo services to others. This would mentioned the need for ensuring a better generate economic movement towards compatibility with proprietary formats, the project and we would take on a mar- although this obviously exceeds the work ket where currently, only commercial bu- strictly connected to the development of sinesses work.” The strategy to start this the Ututo project. economical movement would be to create a positive image of free software and Ututo It is important to note that the team has by targeting some potential key customers its own process of getting comments and provide them an excellent support. from the users, comments that are then integrated in the following distribution. It is a collaboration with the government, Social perspective by the creation of the desktop ASLE-Solar, which initiated the work on this version At the time of writing, all of Ututo deve- of Ututo but this first initiative from the lopment was made on a volunteer basis, Argentinian government didn’t have any although the costs of the material infras- follow-up. However, it is important to tructure were assumed by partners such as state that some municipalities, Moron for the FSF and local enterprises. For the instance, as well as some universities had majority of the respondents, the financial adopted free software as part of their com- viability of Ututo is one of the biggest cha- puter systems. Also, some governmental llenge the team is facing today: “Beyond organizations already support Ututo by the utopia of developing a completely free hosting some of their servers. But all this system, for reality it has to be sustainable, cannot be considered a large scale support if we don’t have resources to continue and free software doesn’t seem to be a very buying machines or whatever.”. A better important issue for the Argentinian go- financial structure could make it possible vernment today. for more than one person to dedicate him If the diffusion of free software and more or herself full-time to the project for the specifically Ututo should go through a support services related to the distribu- larger adoption by businesses, it should tion. also be done through favorable politics From the point of view of Daniel Olivera, towards free software within the govern- the project leader, a period of 5-6 years is ment. to be expected before the project can rea- From the point of view of the actors in lly be viable. A possible path currently Ututo, a government support, a political developed by a consortium of local busi- decision in favor of free software would ness consist at creating an environment also be good for the adoption of Ututo. of projects and services in periphery of Many mention that the plan MI PC, Ututo, which could, in turn, contribute aiming at equipping each child with a in financing Ututo: “a group of businesses computer, as a good entry point for the got together with the idea of starting to diffusion of free software.

Voces libres de los campos digitales 69 Conclusion software from the point of view of the people who create it and thus to con- Apart from giving a comprehensive tribute to a better understanding of the picture of the Ututo community, an in- social nature of technological develop- teresting Latin-American free software ment. community, my objective in the context of this research was to seize some situa- Bibliography tions of hybridization between the tech- nical and the social sphere and to show AKRISH Madelaine (1993) “ Les ob- how technological development, in the jets techniques et leurs utilisateurs. case here of free software, is strongly re- De la conception à l’action “, Rai- lated to social and political dimensions. sons Pratiques, 4, pp. 35-57. I first exposed, from an historical pers- BARDINI Thierry (1996) “ Change- pective, the history of Ututo by focu- ment et réseaux socio- techniques : sing on the different alliances that were De l’inscription à l’affordance “, Ré- made in the building of the software. seaux, 76, pp. 126-155. The second section was more related to what we can call the “technique po- CALLON Michel (1981) “ Pour une liticization”. I tried to expose how the sociologie des controverses techno- actors involved in Ututo are seeing their logiques “ in Fundamenta Scientiae, activity as being political and how small vol. 2, no. 3-4, p. 381-399, 1981. details of implementation are someti- CALLON Michel (1986) “ Éléments mes motivated by dimensions that are pour une sociologie de la traduction. not purely technical. Finally, I tried to La domestication des coquilles Saint- synthetize what the people interviewed Jacques et des marins-pêcheurs dans consider to be the principal challenges la baie de Saint-Brieuc “, L’Année in the development of Ututo and, more sociologique, n°36, P.U.F, Paris :., generally, of free software. pp. 169-208. A postulate underlying this research is ELLUL Jacques (1964) The Technolo- that information technologies are not gical Society, J. Wilkinson, trans., neutral; they reflect, at least partly, the Vintage, New York. values of those who implement them. Ututo is an enlightening case in which FEENBERG Andrew (1991) Critical Theory of Technology the political dimension of building te- , Oxford Univer- chnology is fully assumed: the very act sity Press, New York. of developing software is seen by all the HORKHEIMER Max et ADORNO people interviewed as a political action, T.W. (1947), Dialectic of Enlighten- a way to transform society and techno- ment: Philosophical Fragments, Stan- logy. I hope, in this work, to have po- ford University Press, Standford, Ca- inted out the necessity of looking at free lifornie, 2002.

70 Voces libres de los campos digitales GRANJON Fabien (2004) “ De quel- LATOUR Bruno (1988) How to ques éléments programmatiques write “ the prince “ for machi- pour une sociologie critique des usa- nes as well as for machinations. ges sociaux des TIC “, Les rapports http://www.ensmp.fr/~latour/arti- société-technique du point de vue des cles/article/036.html sciences de l’Homme et de la socié- nté , i Smaïl Hadj-Ali, éd., Rennes. TUOMI Ilkka (2001) “ Internet, Inno- http://archivesic.ccsd.cnrs.fr/sic_ vation and Open Source : Actors in the 00001136.html Network “, First Monday, vol. 6, n° 1. http://firstmonday.org/issues/issue6_ MILLERAND Florence (1998) 1/tuomi/index.html. “ Usages des NTIC: les approches de la diffusion, de l’innovation et WACJMAN Judy (2002) “ La cons- de l’appropriation “, Commposi- truction mutuelle des techniques et te, vol. 98.1 et 99,1, 998 et 999. du genre : l’état des recherches en http://commposite.org sociologie “ in D. Chabaud-Rychter & D. Gardey, éds, L’engendrement PROULX Serge (2000) “La construc- des choses. Des hommes, des femmes et tion sociale des objets informatio- des techniques, Éditions des archives nnels: matériaux pour une ethno- contemporaines, Paris, p. 51-70. graphie des usagers”, conférence à l’Atelier Internet, École Normale Su- périeure, Patris, 14 février 2000.

Voces libres de los campos digitales 71 FREE SOFTWARE In LATIN amErica Socio-political Organization of the Community* Beatriz Busaniche

* Some of the commentaries in this article are refered to the research report included on the CD. Introduction and triggered in me the need to look for Warnings some way of making up for that pro- FREE SOFTWARE blem. When Bellanet researcher Lena Zuñi- In LATIN amErica ga invited me to read the text for the My first idea was to directly find the vo- research she has been carrying out for ices in the community that were absent over two years and to write an article from the work, but lack of time forced to go with it, I came across a challenge me to abort that plan. Nevertheless, I that I would have liked to solve in a di- consider that by interviewing eight to fferent manner. ten actors from the South Cone, the profile of the absences could have been For starters, I would like to emphasize partially covered. Doing this would on the enormous effort done by the re- have meant to practically redo a part of search team in pulling through a work the research work which I consider is that has, from its fundamental objecti- not one of my roles in this instance. ves, great ambitions. So finally, I made the decision to write However, it is here where I consider from my own experience in the com- that the first problem presents itself. munity, as a FS activist, and dedicating The proposal of the objectives is extre- this text to those who for many years mely broad for one workgroup to take have constituted and given life to the on, even counting with the necessary FS communities of Argentina and resources to take on the proposed tasks. , and particularly to the user The main problem is that it is unclear, groups, who are the main branch of our from the stating of the objectives, whi- community. ch variables are to be analyzed and this makes it even more difficult to transla- Towards the end of this text, I will fo- te this to precise indicators that allow cus on the central problems, both me- thodological and conceptual, which I the construction of knowledge. A work found in the Bellanet research. hypothesis is not specified, and the con- ceptual approach has loose ends that But to begin with, I would like to pre- would require previous work themsel- sent and introduce in the debate those ves. Valid as example of these loose ends greatly absent in the research. the statement that “FS is a technologi- cal alternative”, which appears from the The community beginning in the general objectives. For those who are not in direct contact On the other hand, leaving methodo- with FS, the very idea of something logical overviews aside, when reading called “community” existing around the draft that aims to describe the La- informatics programs can seem like a tin American FS Community, I found fiction. However, along with the idea of more absences than presences and this “Freedom”, the concept of “communi-

Voces libres de los campos digitales 73 ty” is one of the driving forces of our for covering the indispensable niche of movement. Using and building FS at a spreading the community’s principles. global level is anchored on two central The community is ceasing to be a group concepts, freedom and community, as composed strictly by hackers, to take the axis of the movement’s social struc- on into becoming a sort of social mo- turing. vement, characterized by a “geek” (1) For those of us who belong to the FS profile, acting in both spaces reserved community, it becomes difficult to for technicians and social or political imagine using and developing free in- movements. formatics programs outside the concept What is essential to emphasize in this of a community that shares a worldvi- community is its eminently political sion . position, turning development and pro- The FS Community is formed by en- motion of free programs into a sort of thusiasts who defend principles linked civil action that intends to build a so- to the freedom of people adopting and ciety based on the principles of free ac- using software and computers. In this cess to digital era cultural techniques, moment in the history of the move- software. Software is politics, and this ment, with more than 0 years gone community has not only built software by since its birth, we can still observe tools, but basically a common cultural that the community is formed mostly base with clear philosophic fundaments by informatics technicians, basically to defend a free computerized environ- programmers, who understand the im- ment. This is why differentiating tech- portance of fighting for FS in order to nicians from politicians is pointless. achieve a free society. Nevertheless, little by little the faces in Social Organization the community are changing, and diffe- Aside from programs, our community rent profiles that occupy spaces in tasks has built its own social action networ- and actions, necessary for the growth ks, forming a complex framework of and strengthening of the community relationships that provide body, shape (such as documenting, translating, po- and movement to the community. litical lobbying and communication) Our primary unit of sociopolitical or- are being incorporated. Also school tea- ganization are LUG”s, or GLUG’s (Li- chers from different levels and higher nux Users Groups or Gnu/Linux Users education scholars have incorporated, Groups) some known today as FS User taking the message to their classrooms. Groups, which is actually what they Incorporation of people with impor- are. tant humanistic backgrounds such as journalists, sociologists, public relatio- A considerable part of these groups have ns experts, are also highly appreciated chosen to keep their original acronyms,

74 Voces libres de los campos digitales but have changed their denominations of FS, given that our community is ba- to FS User Groups , in recognition of sed precisely in this concept: if you find the vast diversity of free programs avai- something that works, and works well, lable, putting the concept of FS over the it is important to spread the news to already popular name “Linux”, which other people, because the more people makes strict reference to the nucleus of that use and promote, the greater the some free operative systems. Also, these success of FS. A user satisfied with FS groups withhold people linked to other is a reproducer not only of the applica- free branches, such as licensed BSD tion, but also of the philosophy. Sha- programs, which integrate naturally ring and promoting are the premises within the community of users. on which all GLUG’s are based. (2) It is customary that users’ groups think New FS users that come into contact globally and act locally. Most of these with a GLUG have much more ad- groups work under their own influence vantages than those who do it on their spheres. own. This is because one of GLUG’s roles is to offer support to those who What are these groups and approach the community, hence crea- how do they operate? ting a multiplying effect. These groups are the product of a de- For this matter, it is also within GLUG’s centralized structure and the distribu- mission to promote education in the tion of FS. GLUG’s appear as a respon- use of FS. It’s not only about adopting se to the needs of those, whether pro- and learning how to use applications, grammers or not, who become invol- but above all about learning from a ved with this reality, Most of them take culture that is central to these move- care of answering doubts and questions ments. Our groups share norms, codes of those who have some kind of uneasi- and principles which become distincti- ve ways of doing, creating and sharing. ness regarding the use of FS, thus these And example of this is the use of e-mail. movements become the main stem for Participation in GLUG’s is often based the community’s development. in mailing list related activities, where It is inadmissible to discuss a FS com- one learns (often forcefully) to interact munity in the South Cone without with peers in communication webs. looking into the organization of users’ To become part of a GLUG it’s not groups, to whom the movement owes enough with taking the time to learn the growth of the community during how to use and apply FS, but one must the last 10 years. For the FS movement get involved with the community’s co- to keep on growing, the proliferation llective codes, which are common and and success of GLUG’s is essential. general to all user groups in the region. GLUG’s take care of promoting the use Similar codes are applied to a mailing

Voces libres de los campos digitales 75 list from Cordoba, Argentina than to Uruguay one in Havana, ; and many user Uruguay’s User Group (3) (UyLug), tur- group members in every city concu- ned 8 in 2005 and is one of the strongest rrently participate in other lists, this groups in the Latin American Commu- way strengthening the cooperation nity. Historically, UyLug has been on of within. the biggest, most organized groups in All of these matters make up the socia- the community, and became a model to lization philosophy in FS. One of the follow by several groups born under the responsibilities of user groups is to try light of the impulse and work done by and get people to understand what it UyLug. Today, Uruguay has several user means to be a FS user. Socialization is groups among which we find the Linux- precisely what makes a person become Teros developers (4) (Salto), MicroLug part of our community, understand (5) (San José), LinuxPay (6) (Paysandú), our codes and participate in the cama- SaLug (7) (Salto), SanJoLug (San José), PanaLug (Canelones), Linux Arachan raderie that characterizes our groups. (8) (Melo), and of course UyLug, based Camaraderie among user groups is one in the city of Montevideo. of the cornerstones for the growth of UyLug is one of the groups that has lo- the community, the network that uni- bbied to promote the legislation for the tes us in common objectives and the use of open standards in Uruguay´s Pu- way that most of us “have fun” being blic Administration, among other initia- part of the FS movement. tives to increase the use of FS in Public There are user groups by city, and even Administration. multiple groups in one same city, given UyLug is also one of the promoters of that these type of organizations are also the Regional FS Congregations, an event formed within spaces such as Schools essentially for the community that is al- and Universities and that there are no ready in its fifth edition, which gathers fixed rules in forming these groups. FS users from all over Latin America. Where there’s a group of enthusiasts, These gatherings have been regularly or- there is a potential group. ganized by user groups. The most recent In Argentina and Uruguay, FS user one took place in Argentina on 005 and was hosted by LugRo (GNU/Linux groups have been the driving force for User Group from Rosario, Argentina). the development and dissemination of FS philosophy and our degree of jo- int articulation is high. In fact, user Argentina communities in Argentina and Uru- In Argentina there are plenty of FS user guay have a long history of cooperative groups. The oldest ones go back to the work. 90´s decade and already have a course of

76 Voces libres de los campos digitales action that is both local and regional. Project. Proposition (12) is a strictly political project that has the objective • CaFeLug (9) : The Federal Capital´s of promoting the use of FS in Public Free Software User Group is one of Administration in our Latin Ameri- the most numerous in the country can countries. When researching on and is the driving force for diffe- Use of FS in Government, one could rent activities that are already re- hardly ignore Proposition as a refe- gular gathering landmarks for our rence. The project has a mailing list community. The annual CaFeConf and a website where years of work for (10) (formerly known as the CaFe- legislative projects on Government’s Lug Annual Conference) is one of FS´ consulting, writing and promo- the events that gathers FS activists tion are centralized. This adminis- from all over the country and neig- trative project in GrULiC relies on hboring countries. Featuring guests the participation of numerous actors such as Roberto Di Cosmo or John from the regional FS Community, “Maddog” Hall, CaFeConf´s have although it is important to note that excelled in surpassing the average the main promoters for the project 1500 event assistance. In addition to are based in Cordoba, and are also CaFeConf, this group holds monthly GrULiC members. GrULiC was and quarterly meetings to discuss born in 1999 and works in close rela- disclosure and provide technical or tionship with the Via Libre Founda- philosophical consulting. This group tion which started in 2000. is also responsible for La Tribu FM´s migration to FS, which is Buenos • LugRo (13): The GNU/Linux User Aires´ most important community Group from Rosario is yet another of radio station, member of the Argen- the historic groups in the local com- tinean Forum of Community Radio munity. Its objective and manifestos Stations and a true cultural reference are to promote FS, to spread the use for counter information and alterna- of GNU/Linux, to investigate and tive communication in the country. broaden the knowledge on FS and to establish a library with material in • GrULiC (11): Cordoba City´s User informatics. LugRo works coordi- Group is one of the most propelling nately with NTA, New Technologies actors in the regional community Association, which has become an and has a history of working hand in NGO to manage activities related to hand with University ambits. GrU- FS in the city of Rosario. Among the LiC has one of the most popular Argentinean FS landmarks, stand mailing lists of the Latin American the First Regional Congregations on community for its technical and ju- Free Software, carried out by LugRo dicial standards. In addition, it is the in 2000, which gathered 1500 people, hosting group for the Proposition an amazing number for the time and

Voces libres de los campos digitales 77 became Richard M. Stallman´s first movement. They are an auto-organi- visit to the country. In a true exam- zed community of hackers who share ple of spontaneous regional integra- certain values, like the idea that tech- tion, UyLug continued the Regional nical knowledge must be spread and Congregations for a period of three shared for it to have its maximum so- years, before LugRo again hosted the cial utility and that there must exist V Regional Congregation in 2005. a liberty not only for using software, but for learning from it, modifying it • LugLi: In the Argentinean coastline, and sharing it. specifically in the city of Santa Fe, we find an extremely active group There is a mailing list known as the called LugLi. According to their own “ring” (17), which gathers members definition it is “a group interested in from GLUG´s and serves as a link for the GNU/Linux operative system joint activities, information distribution, and in the GNU FS philosophy. The and whatever is of interest to the coordi- group is mainly constituted by mem- nated work of these social units in com- bers from the Santa Fe and Entre munity. Rios Provinces, which communicate This brief introduction to a few user through a mailing list and comment groups is far from being extensive. The on matters related to the GNU/Linux projects mentioned are not the only world”.(14) LugLi carries out activi- ones or the most important, but just a ties of encouragement and training simple example. Today there are dozens and some of its members have made of groups like these in practically every substantial contributions to the Lu- city in the country. Many of these same CAS project of free documentation groups work to form other similar groups in Spanish.(15) Several members of in different ambits, especially Univer- this group also take part in projects sities. CaFeLug is particularly active in such as Gleducar and organizations promoting new groups. such as the Via Libre Foundation. Furthermore, FSUA (18), Free Software • LUGMen(16) : Another user group Users of Argentina, works as a suppor- with a high technical level and fluent ting platform for groups in the coun- participation in community activities try who need this. USLA is the heir to is the one originated in the city of LugAr (19), one of the first user groups Mendoza. LUGMen does not stand constituted in Argentina back in the for Linux Users Group of Mendoza, 1990´s. but for “LUGMen Uses GNU/Li- nux in Mendoza”, a name defined These are a good example to illustrate the recursively (typical of hackers) whi- FS community’s functioning and orga- ch satisfies the need for crediting the nization. Its decentralized self-sufficient GNU project, creator of all the FS nature has caused most of the attempt to

78 Voces libres de los campos digitales “represent” the “community” as a who- to “live” off what they do. le to resoundingly fail, not being able to It is common to find some of the ac- capture participation from the main ac- tors in the movement constituting their tors from the mentioned groups. own enterprises based in the FS business Hence, User Groups are and will conti- model. Enterprises such as Except (20) nue to be the vital unit of the commu- in Córdoba, Xtech (21) or Open Com- nity. puting (22) in Buenos Aires, are a few examples of business initiatives from Many User Group members end up de- members of the community. Rosario’s dicating most of their workdays to com- User Group elaborated a blank booking munity related work. This often becomes order to keep an updated database of en- a problem, but also means an opportu- nity. A problem precisely because, as we terprises that work in and with FS, indi- mentioned, user groups are usually infor- cating the community’s interest for this mal and volunteer based organizations kind of lucrative initiatives (23). from which people are not able to make FS based enterprises are also an active a living. Opportunity because many of part of the community. For users and these actors who dedicate a great part of developers to be able to preserve their their time to the community later give long-term freedom it is important that birth to other kind of organizations, be FS continues to prove that it is a sustai- it as NGO’s for sociopolitical purposes, nable model for a community of users. or as enterprises or work cooperatives In this manner, enterprises, cooperatives where community groups come together and small and medium size initiatives

Voces libres de los campos digitales 79 based on FS are useful in the quest to It’s worth pointing out that any attempt find economically sustainable models of incorporating the central concepts of for our community. traditional politics into the FS commu- nity, such as the idea of “representation”, Even the fact that community members have fallen fast before the autarchic de- work for enterprises of a different nature centralized nature of user groups. is important for maintaining the trans- versal nature of FS as a support to the FS is beyond classic partisan political informatics webs in our societies. thought, and any attempt of incorpora- It’s also positive to achieve participation ting the rules of political parties into the and support from big corporations that, movement or to tie it to some tendency in spite of having different objectives of this nature almost immediately gene- dragging them to the FS community, rates reject from community members. might provide interesting contributio- On the other hand, at a moment when ns be it financially, developing or pro- many Governments are adopting FS and moting free applications or interacting many political parties are using it as mo- with hardware manufacturers and en- tto, we mustn’t forget we have gotten here couraging them to provide free drivers on our own community’s merit, which for their devices, or at least the necessary feeds from the contribution of people documentation to write them. from the whole political spectrum. FS’s Moreover, the community can also rely case is essentially political, but was never on some social organizations (NGO’s) of a particular party, because no political organized as such before their coun- party or political ideology had a part in tries’ authorities, which can be helpful the creation and divulging of our move- for conducting activities that require ju- ment. dicial staff and formal structuring. The Furthermore, as we saw before, it is inco- UyLug, ANT, Vía Libre or Solar cases rrect to separate political action groups serve as an example. from “technical” groups. To this we can add attempts of “giving a political cha- Political Action Means racter to the movement.” Both are big mistakes that involve the risk of polari- In recent times FS has acquired great zing the community in a sense that is not visibility and has become an attractive shared by the majority of its members. symbol for many social and political movements. This has helped spread the Our community faces serious political idea, but could also imply the risk of challenges ahead. Aside from staying parting from the original spirit of the independent and continuing to build in community and losing some of the in- a socio-political manner, there are still dependence with which we have been several battle-fronts. With the growing working until now. popularity of computers, everyday the-

80 Voces libres de los campos digitales re is an increase in the number of new Parliaments. We need to urgently create actors involved in decisions that directly consciousness regarding the importance affect FS. of resisting DRM’s and the use of “Trai- tor Computing”, and in the meantime As an example, actors that promote re- we must stop any attempt in establishing ducing the “digital gap” or fight for “di- rules that allow copyright on software- gital inclusion”, fashionable terms in the applied ideas. global political agenda, be it from the ci- vil society or from the government, often Equally, there is also community work appear to work in an opposite direction for creating a judicial framework that from that of the FS community, because encourages public administration in our many of these initiatives promote the use countries to use FS and open standards; of privative tools and are even financed thus, the importance of projects such as by private software companies. Facing Proposition. It’s amazing that this type this, user groups and organizations in of legislation is more successful in the the community are being very resistant, array of local governments than in a ma- both from the political front and from cro level. Municipalities such as Rosario, everyday social work of creating aware- in Argentina, are a model to be followed ness in social organizations that work regarding legislation and migration to with ICT’s. The incursion of privative FS. There, the actions of local commu- software into social organizations and nity groups have been strategic and con- the educational system is considerable tinue to be essential for the success of the and many of these organizations contri- experience. bute to deepen it. Reversing this tenden- cy is a big challenge for our community. Challenges and remaining tasks for adopting FS in LAC Realms such as the WOIP (World Or- ganization of Intellectual Property), the The Latin American FS Community WTO (World Trade Organization) or has some distinctive characteristics, for UNESCO have become real fields of example, the fact that in our region the action for our community’s activists, confusion between freedom and costless who are there discussing and working to has not taken place –maybe due to the prevent agreements that affect people’s richness and beauty of our language- liberty in using FS and computers. and Open Source tendencies have not penetrated either. In Latin America, FS There are plenty of legislative projects is still called FS and will be called this that could have direct effects on free for a long time. computer users, from Free Commerce Treaties in their aspiration of unifying But if in fact, some important projects patent regimes in Latin America with on a global scale are being led by Latin the US, to DMCA type legislations that Americans, the involvement of the re- are slowly installing in our countries gion in the development of FS is still

Voces libres de los campos digitales 81 low. This might be attributed to diffe- level. An example for this is Flisol (24), rent reasons that differentiate us from the Latin America Installation Festival, the US and Europe. which in its 005 and 006 versions congregated user groups from 100 cities Basically, access to computers and in 12 Latin American countries ranging connectivity is still very limited and from Mexico and Cuba, to Chile and becomes difficult in many regions of Argentina. our Continent. On the other hand, the rhythm of life is different and, in these latitudes, it seems harder to access the Some specific notes on the time-availability required for active in- Bellanet Investigation volvement in big projects. On the Conceptual Aspects In spite of this, there are many working in FS, with an im- In several sections of the text, particu- portant level of international presence. larly in the research’s objectives and in Nevertheless, we still need to produce the conceptual part, researchers state local means for solving certain proble- that “Free Software is a technological ms. tool” (25) for Latin America and develo- ping countries in general. On the other Access to infrastructure in Latin Ame- hand, the issue of the code’s “common rica is still hard, and hardware costs property” also appears repeatedly, or often become a problem. A central ma- references to the misused “intellectual tter in current discussions is the need property” also appear. for the community to develop free dri- vers for all available hardware. This is We therefore find three important con- a problem we still haven’t been able to cepts that we should elucidate in one overcome and that states the conflict of same direction: Free Software is not a discarding certain hardware, investing “technological tool”, but a legal alterna- a lot of resources in developing inverse tive. The heart of the matter is adop- engineering for designing free drivers, ting a model of licensing that respects or using some packages that aren’t free, the liberties defended by FS, with all which is offensive for FS supporters. the advantages and benefits this would mean for our region including social, It is worth mentioning though, that economical and political advantages, even if challenges for our community plus technical benefits offered by the in Latin America are still plenty, one of FS model. the main achievements we’ve had at a local level is the great degree of orga- On the other hand, in no way does FS nization in our communities, the fact structure under the model of “common that we’re experienced in network ope- property”, because FS is based in au- rations and in cooperation at a regional thorship rights that have nothing to do

82 Voces libres de los campos digitales with the “property” model. Intangible research is bringing into the FS com- assets are not appropriable, on the con- munity discussions from organizations trary, according to present legislation, with a different agenda. Some groups authors and right-owners have the right with their own political agendas make to exercise certain delimited monopo- notable efforts for disguising their in- lies in time. Talking about “technolo- terests as if they were shared with the gical alternative” is changing the sense FS community, pretending to trans- of what FS really is, whereas sustaining form our community in a battlefield concepts of “property” in relation to that allows them FS somewhere in the software is only good for nurturing spectrum of classic politics. confusion to the matter of patent mo- Methodological mistakes in the resear- nopoly and copyrights. ch provide these types of conflicts with When identified challenges are mentio- permanence that, to say the truth, have ned, it is fundamental to underline that no place in our community. part of the pending challenges regar- ding information and diffusion is in the On Methodological Aspects need for generating understanding and throwing some light on concepts that Every investment is based in cuts, and allow us to clarify judicial frames within in social sciences, slanting cuts seems to which the FS develops. Understanding be inevitable. This is why it is funda- copyright laws, problems derived from mental that the researcher clarifies the the application of certain patents, and kind of cuts he does, making an explicit knowing the licensing framework for reckoning of the slants and preferably software helps the community in its explains the reasons for this decision. efforts to avoid expressions that repea- For starters, the Bellanet research parts tedly appear in the research, such as from a very particular trimming in the “Intellectual Property” and “Common choice of the counterparts. It is worth Property”, in our discourse. mentioning that, at least two of the Talking about “Intellectual Property” counterparts working in the research do not have a direct relationship with strengthens the tendency to make us the FS community (27) and are fre- believe that software and intellectual quently regarded suspiciously by our works are a “property” in the same community. manner that tangible goods are, and this generates confusion around the di- In addition to this cutback, which pro- fferent judicial arrays of what is embra- bably adds up to the research slant, ced under IP. For the FS community, there are other cutbacks produced from using the appropriate concepts is a stra- the action realms of some of the coun- tegy of political action (26). terparts. Another conceptual problem along the It is regretful observing that in the

Voces libres de los campos digitales 83 South Cone, some of the people selec- local community. ted for the research belong to a same Similarly, and when dealing with a re- organization, which by the way, doesn’t search, it is the responsibility of those have the FS agenda as a priority, but on who research to maintain at least a cer- the contrary, clearly work in a political tain distance from their own sympa- line of fighting capitalism using FS as thies in order to construct knowledge. an anti-corporate flag (28). In social theory construction, it is very Having done a cutback of this nature, hard to isolate from one’s own ideolo- it is not surprising to perceive, almost gy, but it is inadmissible that a research like floating throughout the research, that calls him/herself such to figurate a strong sympathy of FS activists with in the same projects they are supposed left wing political sectors. This is ano- to research, presenting personal apprai- ther misleading notion in the research, sals as results from field work. Either notion that could be attributed to not one is part of a certain project and knowing the regional scene well or sim- speaks from within, or the research role ply to political will. This is not stated is clearly defined and one effectively re- clearly in the text. searches (30). Simply as to consider an example present Both cutbacks and personal appraisals in the text itself (29), it is worth mentio- are part of the social sciences researcher’s ning that the work process for updating routine, but precisely because of that, GLP licenses made evident how certain and following Max Weber’s methodo- groups don’t hesitate bringing their logical line, it is mandatory that the re- own political interests into forums that search makes this judgment explicit in have nothing to do with traditional po- his/her work. litics, such as the GPLv3 scenario. This What is cutback, why and from what way, said actors prove they are totally political stand a research is done is fun- incapable of leaving aside their own po- damental for the work to be sufficiently litical interests when working with FS rigorous. as a central concept. Before this kind of events, it becomes clear who has FS as a priority in their agendas, and who see On some general prejudices found in the research in FS a mere opportunity to pull objec- tives through that have little to do with There are some prejudgments and our community. value judgments along the text. The problem in the research regarding The research partially shows a the South Cone is that it has prioritized dispute in classic political terms on the voices of those actors whose pri- within the community. This is not mary agenda is not FS, leaving aside the so. Those who hold FS as a priority testimony of a substantial part of our in their agendas can discuss multi-

84 Voces libres de los campos digitales ple different matters, to leave their ween enterprises and community, political-partisan interests aside un-doubtful consequence of the when fighting for FS. It is easy to same cutback and slanting observed differentiate activists taking this as in the document. It is common that a reference. Those who pretend to FS activists identify themselves with include political disputes (based on left-wing political ideas reveal some the left wing – right wing axis or distances and discrepancies with capitalism and anti-capitalism) in entrepreneurial organization forms. the FS scenario don’t hold FS as a Nevertheless, said judgment from priority in their agendas, and ins- some activists is not inherent or tead use it as an instrument for their common to the FS community. FS own objectives. philosophy does not state anything against commercial use in progra- ms, as long as they respect the liber- Hence, instead of believing there ties of FS users and developers. On are divisions within the community the contrary, the community needs because of these political contradic- development of business models ba- tions, one could affirm that there sed on FS to become sustainable in are political actors who seek to use time. the community and even portray it as divided in order to satisfy their own aspirations, which are not ne- Finally, we find another prejudi- cessarily those of our community. ce that does no justice at all to the South Cone community. The expli- cit idea in the text that LUG’s and This is not a value judgment on GLUG’s are just technical groups, whether this is right or wrong, or evidences a great ignorance on the if these people are a part of the actions of these groups. In fact, community, but simply a clearing from user groups such as CaFeLug note to underline why the slant in in Buenos Aires, and organizatio- the Bellanet research (which has ns such as the Via Libre Founda- decided to overlook vigorous user tion and FSF Latin America, have groups such as UyLug in Uruguay come many political actions as the and groups like CaFeLug, GrULiC recent demonstration (31) that took and LugRo in Argentina) is concer- place in the Argentina Ministary of ning. Education, where a group of hack- tivists directly intervened in an act where Minister Filmus presented Another prejudice that hangs over an Alliance for Education Program the text is the pseudo-distance bet- with Microsoft.

Voces libres de los campos digitales 85 That a research of broad arrays con- political visions into a work that tains this kind of prejudices seems should be about observation, also due to the slanting generated compilation of data and a more by the cutback of the voices chosen rigorous analysis. to speak for our community. It is very different to be an activist In short, the objectives of the resear- than a researcher. Stating that one ch were excessively broad and parted writes as an activist is one thing, from false premises such as consi- but declaring one self a researcher dering FS as a “technological alter- and writing as an activist is another, native” when it simply isn’t. Then, particularly when the results of the the ambition of “studying each of research become affected by perso- the sectors involved in the software nal sympathies and partisan conve- movement of Latin America and the niences. Caribbean- meaning, academic, go- vernment and private sectors, civil Complementary and society, and user groups- their pers- recommended bibliography pective on the subject and interre- Heinz, Federico “Los desafíos de la co- lations” lays unfinished due to evi- munidad de Software Libre en Lati- dent methodological limitations. noamérica” en “¿Un mundo patenta- The research shows problems in se- do? La privatización de la vida y el veral stages: conocimiento”. Ediciones Heinrich Boell Nro. 19 en http://www.boel- • In stating excessively broad and llatinoamerica.org/download_es/Li- hardly achievable objectives bro_biopolitica.pdf without a clear definition of a work hypothesis and the variables Brod, Cesar Free Software in Latin and indicators to research. America en http://www.brod.com. br/files/helsinki.pdf • In the selection of the involved counterparts, where researchers Pilas, Rodolfo Software Libre en Uru- showed lack of knowledge in the guay en http://www.pilas.net/?p=85 field to be research. This could Linux Advocacy HowTo en http:// have been solved with an explo- www.tldp.org/HOWTO/User- ratory research previous to the GroupHOWTO. html selection of counterparts. • In the slanting of the counterpar- Notes ts themselves, which regretfully 1 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geek couldn’t separate their interests as organizations from their task 2 http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/ as researchers and brought their UserGroupHOWTO.html tradu-

86 Voces libres de los campos digitales cido parcialmente por Grulic en 18 www.usla.org.ar http://www.grulic.org.ar/grulic. 19 www.linux.org.ar html#lug 20 http://except.com.ar/ 3 http://www.linux.net.uy/tikiindex.php 21 http://xtech.com.ar/ 4 http://www.linuxteros.codigolibre.net 22 http://www.opensa.com.ar/ 5 http://microlug.linux.net.uy/ 23 http://www.lugro.org.ar/proyectos/ 6 http://www.charruahost.com/107/ libroblanco/index.html news.php 24 http://installfest.info 7 http://www.salug.org.uy/ 25 Ver Investigación Bellanet pag. 14 8 http://linuxarachan.net/ 26 http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/ 9 http://www.cafelug.org.ar wordstoavoid.es.html 10 http:// w ww.cafeconf.org.ar 27 Funredes y AlfaRedi 11 http:// w ww.grulic.org.ar 28 Me refiero a la ONG Hipatia 12 http:// w ww.proposicion.org.ar 29 Ver Investigación Bellanet pag. 34 13 http://www.lugro.org.ar 30 https://www.ututo.org/www/modu- 14 http://www.lugli.org.ar les/team/team.php 15 http://es.tldp.org/ 31 http://www.dsur.net/bbusaniche/ ?p=110 16 http://www.lugmen.org.ar 17 https://listas.linux.org.ar/mailman/ listinfo/anillolst

Voces libres de los campos digitales 87 Concepts and Debates on Knowledge Freedom and Free Software Diego Saravia

88 Voces libres de los campos digitales 1. Software and (binary or source code) which is only Knowledge Freedom understood by the computer. The text created by human programmers is left 1.1 What is Software? unseen. Software is the set of programs that con- This becomes very damaging thus no trol the machinery on which humanity one knows what programs actually do. is increasingly more dependant on. Governments loose sovereignty because they have no security control for their Without Software we would not be able machines and information. Enterprises to withdraw money from the bank or and organizations are at the mercy of extract petrol. Our telephones work these monopolies for any change or is- through software; election poles are sue that comes up, and must rely on and handled with software; and more hun- trust only them. There is no competen- dreds of examples. Our society functio- ce in said conditions, and what’s worse, ns through Software and the capacity the data for people, organizations and of creating and modifying it determines governments that these programs store how many aspects of our lives and eco- are not readable with other programs. nomy are controlled and determined. Information is owned by monopolies, In recent years a few corporations have and all depends on them in order to re- managed the creation and distribution cover any of it. of Software in the planet, and their ow- This kind of software is known as “li- ners are the biggest millionaires anybo- censed”, according to some, and more dy can recall. recently as “privative” according to These companies have managed to other. It usually contains many mis- achieve a monopoly by using restriction takes and helps virus dissemination and laws on intellectual property, known other things, because no one can audit as ¨copyrights¨, laws which allow the or improve it. editorial industry to charge money for every copyrighted work distributed. 1.2 What is Free Software? For books or music, publishers show In order to solve problems caused by the actual intellectual work . What new legal practices on copyright and is known is what the authors wrote or monopoly action on software, a group of composed. people worldwide created FS. On incorporating binary software into Working jointly through the Internet, copyrighting, millionaire software building the Internet, creating alterna- multinationals ban the actual intellec- tive software and giving humanity the tual work from being showed. They just chance to know the source code, modify offer a sub-product, a set of instructions it and to use the software as desired and

Voces libres de los campos digitales 89 share it with others by distributing it. action has no marginal cost. We can all offer our ideas and receive thousands of Definition of Free Software: soft- ideas from others. We can all give one ware over which there are rights for: 0) and receive a thousand, it is a game that using, 1) inspecting, 2) distributing, 3) always adds-up positively. modifying and distributing its modifi- cations. Free Software supporters are constitu- software which allows to: 0) use, 1) ins- ted as a social movement with a politi- pect, 2) distribute, 3) modify and dis- cal position regarding intellectual rig- tribute its modifications. hts and endorsing more rights for the people. What is hoped to be achieved A social movement, emerging from the with the final goal: that ownership-ba- community of developers, organized in sed licensed software ceases to exist. hundreds of projects of wide array and inspiration that invented work methods Essentially FS is politics, militancy and Figura: where hundreds work on the same pro- ideology instrumented with concre- Evolución del Software Libre gram and share the results, and where te methodological collaborative work “everyone contributes a little bit and practice and technological develop- takes everything”. ment.

This is knowledge. 1.3 Programming If one drinks a glass of water, that water Programming is one of the most pure ceases to be available; if, on the other creative arts, absolutely limited regar- hand, one uses an idea, nothing stops ding its expressive possibilities. A pro- another person from using it too. Every gram consists in a simple sequence of time one shares an idea every one can 60 different characters, which potentia- have it and use it, contribute and share lly contain all that can, has, is and will it with others. Ideas and software are be known. naturally free. Carries out everything that can be A group that is enriched by user groups executed. Pure Language. Functional (LUG´s) and their communities, acti- Abstraction. Machine and communi- vists from every ambit, ideology, orga- cations. nization, cultural environments, parties and knowledge fields that contribute When this art is freed and becomes with ideas, work and social and politi- collective, the experience reaches thou- cal action behind the concept of Free sands of communities, defining them. Software. When it is not only a matter of an effort In a wired world, there is no point in es- but of a whole group of efforts that in- tablishing restrictions to the circulation teract and also have a technical, social, of digitalized ideas, because this very political and ideological purpose, it be-

90 Voces libres de los campos digitales comes a universal project. A process where each software is a work of great beauty, originality, technique, This is, in essence, Free Software; a pro- sensibility, effectiveness, efficiency, qua- ject for humanity’s projection into the lity, professionalism and which evolves future without remaining attached and in time with the contribution of hun- falling into a digital dictatorship based dreds of minds. on machines controlling all human transactions. A starting point in Human culture, prompted by rising and vibrant social An artistic, creative and collaborative movement which seek alternatives, ma- project. A process that builds commu- king possible another world. nities, networks and its own tools: In- ternet, GNU/Linux, Apache, Firefox, 1.4 What is not Free Software and hundreds of art-pieces with practi- Figura: cal sense and great abstraction. It’s not just an array of techniques, te- Evolución del chnologies and tools. It’s not just a set Software Libre of trademarks.

Evolution of Free Software

Voces libres de los campos digitales 91 Any software can be distributed un- intellectual work they control. This is der free legal mechanisms (or licenses), sometimes done for a price or a return even those from software monopolies. favor. It just so happens that some of these Copyleft uses copyright system to crea- monopolies decide on not liberating te a community of people who share their software. knowledge through their intellectual It’s not an array of determined econo- works. Using legal copyright tools they mical or industrial products. Free Soft- achieve the opposite objective. ware economy is not based on software On one hand copyleft gives back rea- products, but in non-monopolist ser- ders and users´ rights taken by the co- vices. We can have different scale Free pyright system, but it doesn’t place the Software enterprises: small, medium work outside copyright system hence and huge. Software is always available, making it public domain. If this were what can be hired are people’s services to be done, the work could be renow- to install, configure adapt or even crea- ned exclusively by third parties. In this te it. sense copyleft is Free Knowledge. It is not a monopoly or a sole program. On the other hand, copyleft indicates For each need there are different com- the reader that if they want to redistri- munities that create programs. For bute a work or distribute modificatio- example, for operative systems you have ns done to side work, they must grant Linux or BSD, for postgres or mysql da- readers and users the same rights they tabases, for desktops KDE or Gnome, received from the original authors or etc, etc... These communities compete editors. In this sense copyleft goes be- or collaborate based on the needs. yond knowledge freedom by forcing all beneficiaries of said knowledge to 1.5 Copyright, copyleft and maintain it free. the”copy - paste” culture For this reason, copyleft is a system “Copyright” is a system that transfers that distributes knowledge virally. rights, granting power to editors -from Everything it touches remains free authors- , in detriment of “readers´” or and expands by touching and freeing “users´” rights. This generally operates more knowledge. As in a judo throw, it by restraining the right to reproduce or awaits for the opportunity and uses the copy knowledge. enemy’s own strength to force giving in. A space not covered by laws. Authors are usually in a dependence position or sell their rights to editors. Because the legal system cannot be The latter determines, through indivi- changed because of a lack in political dual or general licenses, what kind of power for it, it’s better to use its own rights they grant each person over the force to destroy its own objectives.

92 Voces libres de los campos digitales This legal invention abilitates ``remix’’ We must build a solidary ans sustaina- or ``copy-paste’’ cultures and allows the ble knowledge society. existence of bazaar model work in co- Correspondent is a legal system modifi- llaboration with intellectual works. cation, adapting it to reality, to society’s Thus, knowledge freedom is a conse- convenience and the new usage and quence of: ways of the network, putting into prac- tice the right to knowledge freedom, 1. Liberties and copyleft, according to what is established by 2. Internet, [DUDDHH]. 3. Computers and their content-edition capabilities. In this manner, consolidating ethical principals that allow people to spread 2 HUMAN RIGHTS their knowledge, to help themselves, help their community and the whole Hipatia in its second Manifesto[Hipatia: world, with the goal that society beco- SM-04], claims for freedom of knowled- mes more equal, free, sustainable and ge3. solidary. The construction of a society where Regarding this, Hipatia: people’s dignity is respected requires for knowledge to be spread in a solidary • invites everyone to work way. • so all institutions, private and public entities and especially governments And demands Human Rights [DUDD- around the world, manifest them- HH] to be particularly respected: selves and take part in creating and 1. the right to free culture (see point 4 in establishing a legal frame: the “Everything is Settled” section), • adapted to reality, convenient to so- ciety and the new usage and ways of 2. the right to education (point 5), the network, 3. the right to free communication (po- • allowing everyone to enjoy knowled- int 6), ge freedom, as established by the rights where its execution is prevented Universal Declaration of Human – in the array of knowledge societies, Rights. with their new technological basis and 2.1 What happens with communication mechanisms – by in- authors? force normative patents and copyrights systems. The growing preponderance of The three aforementioned human rig- said normative systems facing Human hts: culture, education and communi- Rights must be limited, given public in- cation, (as well as others) have prepon- terests and its social functions, to avoid derant value regarding the normative restraining human kind progress. from copyright law 4 to benefit from

Voces libres de los campos digitales 93 their own creation, found in paragraph to all available knowledge, unrestricte- 1, clause c), article 15 on [PIDESC] and dly, from the first formative stages, with paragraph , article 7 on [DUDD- contents and abstractions that belong HH]: to each level. This is unachievable if di- “Every person has the right ffusion is prohibited. to moral and material in- terest protection regarding 2.2 It is necessary to modify the scientific, literary or artistic Law productions on which they Legislation on copyrights, patents and have any authorship.‘’ all legal monopolies over intellectual The enforcement of this right is limited creations must encourage knowledge by public interest and social function, diffusion. Technological changes made which is confirmed in the quoted do- systems that encouraged this diffusion cuments. to restrain it today. Today’s enforced le- gal frame, consolidated in the industrial Rights regarding knowledge don’t limit era with the aim of favoring diffusion of other human rights, particularly the information and knowledge, today be- right to privacy established in article 12 comes anachronic and unfitting. on the [DUDDHH]. Knowledge free- dom does not force anyone to spread Impediment on the flow of a certain certain information, nor makes it pu- information, which activates every blicly available; it just gives those who time someone who has access to it tries know it the right to spread it, not the to spread its expression freely, harms obligation. people and society, and benefits only a Knowledge freedom allows a person minority’s particular interests (that don’t to exercise a kind of solidarity that has necessarily match the authors´). been lost today. By default, if the author doesn’t pronounce, based on public rig- 2.3 This is all stated in: ht today, the expressions of the ideas of a third party cannot be diffused. With 1. the 984 Universal Declaration of freedom, the expression of a known Human Rights ([DUDDHH]), idea, if the source does not expressly 2. the International Pact of Economi- pronounce against it, can be diffused. cal, Social and Cultural Rights ([PI- Knowledge rights are deeply related DESC]), within themselves because it’s impos- 3. the International Pact of Civil and Po- sible to exercise them individually, or litical Rights ([ONU:PIDCP-66]) report without knowing, or knowing without having been reported or edu- 4. paragraph 1 clauses a) and b), article cated. Education for today’s highly so- 15 on [PIDESC] and paragraph , phisticated society means having access article 27 on [DUDDHH]

94 Voces libres de los campos digitales “every person has the right to take part illusion and fantasy. freely in community cultural life, enjoy Cells scattered throughout the subcon- the arts and take part in the scientific tinent learn and contribute, form their progress and the benefits derived from first virtual communities and local, na- it´’ tional, regional and universal groups. 5. article  on [PIDESC] and article They organize themselves, integrate and 26 on[DUDDHH] constitute social movements to spread ``Every person has the right to education. their ideas in a militant manner. Education must be free of charge, at least Convince Governments, companies, regarding elemental and fundamental organizations of all kinds. Install, mi- instruction…; ‘’ grate and sometimes also fail. 6. paragraph , article19 on [ONU: Work, earn, donate, collaborate, like PIDCP-66] and article 9 on little ants that as Viglietti would sing, [DUDDHH] build and build without stopping. “every individual has the right to free- In the space of Free Software many can dom of opinion and expression,; said rig- participate: programmers, promoters, ht includes not being bothered because philosophers, politicians, writers, de- of personal opinions, the right of resear- signers, organizers, lawyers, musicians, ching and receiving information and painters, everyone can take on a role opinions, and spreading them without and earn a place.. frontier limitations and through any means of expression.’” 3.1 Politics and Community 7. pa ra graphs 13 a nd 18 on [PT- Those visiting find social and politi- CIDH] cal content in South American Free 8. paragraph  on [R2000SPPDH] Software Communities surprising, and paragraphs 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 on in comparison to those of wealthy [R2001SPPDH] countries. 9. [DUPCTP], [ONU:DDD-86] y There are still few and small techni- [UNESCO:DPC-66]. cal basis in our countries. 3. South America There are still few strong national or- ganizations. In these South American colonized te- There are few and not very numerous rritories, where colonizers and colonies user groups in the different cities of both continue the unending quest for the Sub-Continent. freedom and independence, Free Soft- ware has penetrated into the imagery There are few development projects ba- of many minds with the strength of its sed or originated in South America.

Voces libres de los campos digitales 95 But all the Governments that are ac- 4 Society tually betting on Free Software are 4.1 Democracy or Dictatorship South American. in knowledge societies There are international organizatio- From a note in “Sete Pontos” [Saravia: ns promoting freedom of knowledge DDS-03], also see: [Saravia:MH-01,Hi- originated in South America (Hipa- patia:SW,Varios:Art]. tia). The combination of informatics with communications interconnects human 3.2 Governments beings allowing the creation of organiza- There are at least two Governments tions that were before unimaginable. We that consider Free Software strongly: find ourselves before an unprecedented Brazil and Venezuela, at the moment technological, communicational, social the only two National Governments and human revolution previously unk- in the world. Venezuela officially nown in history. and Brazil with great political su- The new developing human, economical pport. Probably the country with and political organization, or “Knowled- most technical abilities is Chile, the ge Societies”, is being defined. The ethics only South American country with we agree on, the rights we grant oursel- more than 100 people registered for ves, the norms we will institute and the every million, (106) in the Linux communion we achieve, will in great counter(April 006). And probably measure define and shape human cultu- the country where Free Software is re for the next few centuries. least politicized. Uruguay follows in the counter with 60. Internet kick started the revolution that conjugates phones with mass-media, The Venezuelan case is paradigmatic. the power of processing and digitalizing Considering the sabotage against the information. The libertarian spirit that Government carried on during the impregnated this, shadowed in Universi- oil stoppage, President Hugo Cha- ties, gave origin to a community of hac- vez decreed (3390) that in the term kers and created Free Software. Philoso- of two years all the Government had phy and technology grew sheltered and to work with Free Software allowing connected to the web, feeding it along technological sovereignty. the process that still defines the space Hence, endogenous development is and cultural tools of the young Society encouraged, investing enormous re- of Information. sources in the country and in Vene- This process is causing a strong reaction. zuelan informatics workers that in Some industries, as is the case of edito- the past went to multinational soft- rials and record companies, are destined ware monopolies. to disappear or change radically. They

96 Voces libres de los campos digitales are ceasing to be necessary. Anyone with ideas. But this occurred when informa- a computer and a broad band connection tion was firmly attached to the physical can act as a distributing center, building mount that contained it. Today, the me- up common knowledge. dium can be completely separated from The process is irreversible. Just as auto- the content. Digitalized information is mobiles took the place of carriages, P.C.s uncountable and ubiquitous and its mar- and Internet will take the place of edito- ginal reproduction and distribution cost rials and music companies. Early illus- is inexistent. Once created and digitali- tration pioneers, are today anachronic. zed, an intellectual work can be copied, But they’re still powerful corporations, distributed, accessed, and enjoyed by mi- capable of exercising this power. The llions of people at the same time, without reaction can impose some regulations any difference showing between the ori- that could constitute a totalitarian and ginal and its copies, and without even a controlled centralized world, delaying marginal cost produced by this enjoy- the progress of humanity. Some Gover- ment. The aberration of distributing bi- nments and corporations wish for the nary formatted software and referring to Internet to be a mechanism to reinforce this abject practice and its humanly in- their former business-making ways and comprehensible ‘content’ as ‘intellectual their power. On the other hand, citizens work’ and protecting it with copyrights and organizations wish for internet to and even patenting it, made things even be a phenomenal means of communica- more complicated. tion that will change our way of relating The strategies used to delay the unavoi- and decentralize economy and planetary dable flow of information are: control. • Global Marketing campaigns to la- 4.1.1 The ``exclusive appropriation’’ of knowledge bel the sharing of copyrighted infor- mation as ‘piracy’. Laws are passed to The establishing of property produc- criminalize Internet practices. tion means defined industrial society. • Encouraging peer accusation in di- The central discussion in ‘knowledge fferent ambits, reminding us of the societies’ takes place under the publici- worst practices in fascist regimes. ty slogan: ‘intellectual property’, which • Trusted Computing Group (TCG), pretends to join three different concepts: former Trusted Computing Platform copyrights, patents and trademarks. If Alliance (TCPA), develops a concept one shares an apple every person has the of Fisable Informatics (or Traitor In- right to just one bit, if one shares an idea formatics, depending on how you look every person has right to the whole thing. at it). Technologies created to take Mechanisms such as copyright were spe- control and appropriation of people’s cifically designed to generate the econo- computers, with the intended purpo- mic structures that support the flow of se of preventing content copying.

Voces libres de los campos digitales 97 • Youngsters who are able to explore Without knowledge freedom, education these mechanisms are ‘criminalized’ as a right becomes impossible, as becomes instead of recognizing their talents. putting and ends to the ‘digital gap’. It is • Artificial mechanisms are developed not only a matter of eliminating the digital for the restrictionof idea-sharing by gap informing poverty, we must eliminate regions, times, usage instances, etc. poverty resting on Free Knowledge. Life, freedom and intelligence always The specific battle we must fight: find their own way. The problem is not • avoiding centralized control of our the end, for some hacker will find a computers, door to let the light of knowledge in, • putting an end to any attempt of paten- the problem is in the process and what ting software, we might lose along the way. • avoiding any type of penal laws such 4.1.2 Free Society vs. Controlled Society as Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) http://anti-dmca.org/ and es- The attempts of the old information indus- pecially preventing it via FTAA. try to subsist in the new era of knowledge • continuing the development of the only become possible through imposing a structure and use of Free Software. parody on the Information Society. They must be able to control every program The result of these quests will determine running in every computer in the world. the future profile for all humanity. The in- This way, they destroy the very spirit of the formation society was born free and grows new era. To achieve this, they must deve- to the vibrant beat of humanity. Keeping lop physical mechanisms and special com- it this way (free) we will establish the right ponents that answer to their interests and to access, information, knowledge, com- take away command from the computer’s munication and education for all human owner. Every computer must execute only beings. We will build a free, fair and soli- what it is authorized. When everything is dary society. handled with programs, even elections, 4.1.3 Alternative Ways the resulting society will be democratic or totalitarian. Today, while there is still an Today, before the posed challenges, hu- action realm, we must ban this. Or at least manity has three ways for consolidating avoid it being imposed by law. the liberation of cyberspace, the infor- matics revolution and popular globali- Only with freedom of program running, zation: Free Software and depenalizing file-sha- ring, we will have universal access. Thus, • Political: Promote changes in copyrig- the four liberties that define Free Soft- ht legislation, even eliminate it 5, avoid ware comprise the basic rights of the In- DRM, and penalizing copies and most formation Society: freedom of execution, definitely in Internet. Banning the esta- knowledge, communication and creation. blishment of software patents. Fighting

98 Voces libres de los campos digitales for a development not marked by shor- Software patents and ``DRM’’ can des- tage, in an ambit where this is possible. troy this path and in this sense the politi- Dictate laws on usage and creation of cal course must not be abandoned. Patent Free Software in Government, along and ``DRM’’ universalization constitute with laws to administrate the State’s in- the plan of software multinationals and tellectual works. Promote executive de- editorials. crees and migrations in Government, Regarding other forms of knowledge, or the educational system. Participate things are more complex. The result of the in meetings and events at any level an- battle for Free Software will determine in ywhere in the world. Process Microsoft great measure other battles in the quest for for its monopolist actions. knowledge freedom. A primary matter is if Governments Today there is a big alternative movement, should use Free Software or if they which gives everyone powerful fighting should favor it or if they should choose tool to create a different world, not only case by case [Romero:OPT-05,Saravia: SLA-03,Saravia:NT-05,Saravia:GAS- already possible but in the process of being 05]. built, turning computers and minds into trenches. • criminal [Lanier:PF-99]: using soft- ware illegally, copying music from the 4.2 Voting Technologies Internet. This is the way of most of hu- manity , and it deals with the habit of Each time someone makes a choice [Sara- ICT use in the planet. Illegal but usua- via:GI-04], they are voting for markets (or lly admitted. Not recommendable and for non-markets and for rights), each time a big mistake in the long run. As Bill a technological option is exercised, one is Gates once said [Gates:ESA] and was voting for it. Network administrators in also quoted by Amadeu [Microsoft: American Universities voted for the In- ASA-2004], users first use software for ternet and with this decision imposed the free and illegally, then they sort of be- web as a worldwide one. Elections were come addicted, … we’ll find a way to lost by IPX to Novell, SNA to IBM, Net- have them pay. Bios to Microsoft, etc. Curiously the law attempts to change Now is the time for Software, every vote the commonly accepted use, instead of counts, every choice defines the battle for trying to organize these habits. Software freedom. • alternative: Develop Free Software. It is also the time for file-sharing, every Erecting a new building. The path or new developments that allows music and plan proposed by Richard Stallman ‘content’ sharing leans the scale towards (rms). An alternative for every applica- a better more prosperous and free world tion. Another world is possible. [Rehermann:NMP].

Voces libres de los campos digitales 99 This way we will have more intellectual seen if massive educational methods prosperity in the Free Knowledge world gain more presence with the populari- [Saravia:REC-04], [Saravia:DDS-03], ty of Free Software. Today people learn [Saravia:EI-03] as opposed to an enclosed through the internet, via local groups privative one. and virtual communities. Without a doubt one of the top achievements of 4.3 Fundamental Contradictions LUGs is the dissemination of technical knowledge required for Free Software. • During the industrial revolution the LUGs´millitance has been one of the fight was between private property strongest points of resistance to corpo- and common property in production rative propaganda and publicity. Mili- means. tancy vs. Commercial Marketing. • In the informatics revolution and Some have opted for certification as a knowledge societies, the fight is bet- means to formalize this area. ween private and free knowledge. Pri- A writer cannot be formed without ha- vate property or freedom of knowled- ving access to literature. Informatics ge for its means of production and/or cannot be taught without access to the creation. source code. Universities and acade- mies that only use licensed software are 4.4 Knowledge Societies: of questionable academic level. towards a new socialist project? Combination of local work, informa- 6. ECONOMY tics sovereignty, collaborative global 6.1 Proprietor Industries development, digital liberties and tech- nological transparence determine that The promise of Free Software competes Free Software is part of the means to in Latin America with the promise of build knowledge societies in the XXIst the development of the Licensed Soft- Century’s socialism (6). ware Industry, which offers things such as regional call centers for technical su- This does not stop Free Software from pport, or software ‘sweat shops’ where also being part of other political pro- software is manufactured quickly with jects [Solar:SLP]. cheap programmers and abundant im- porting of multinational licenses. 5. ACADEMICS In some countries such as Uruguay and Free Software is dysfunctional to tradi- Argentina to some extent, governments tional methodologies in education, and have bought this idea and have granted the academic field has not proven use- important imposed exemptions. The ful for its propagation, at least for now ‘export’ amounts are always made pu- in this Sub-Continent 7 . It is yet to be blic, but rarely are those of the imports

100 Voces libres de los campos digitales which nourish them or each countrie’s free business. global balance regarding software. Free Knowledge has the particularity of allowing free commerce, but avoiding 6.2 Companies and Profit monopoly. For this it is a crucial base for In many private companies, even multi- abilitating Free Commerce on the Inter- nationals, Free Software has penetrated net. silently with some outstanding examples To go deeper into these matters one must in the region today. They don’t seek or differentiate between “creation” and wish for publicity, but he who wants to see “production” of knowledge, one means them, will. thinking up and creating the original In some companies and also in Govern- and the other means the massive repro- ment, Free Software strengthens the inner duction of it. strength of technology information, be- In the digital world creation has its cost cause they can reduce expense and increa- and it cannot be recovered through pro- se their staff and capability of technologic duction, hence it is a typical example of control. In the ‘outsourcing’ debate there a good element that cannot have an ex- are those proposing Free Software from change value, thus, its creation must be both fields. financed or paid for. For this purpose we have governments, 6.3 Fair Commerce patrons, universities. And organizatio- Fair Commerce is a kind of commerce ns and mechanisms that allow many to that emerges form a free, direct and honest contribute a little. There are also organi- (not fraudulent) new relationship between zations interested in creating a determi- three new economical subjects: producers ned knowledge for their own use, and in in impoverishment process, solidary con- this way recovering some of their invest- sumers and non-profit intermediaries. ments. What characteristics does this “business” 6.4 Free Commerce and Free freedom have? Software 1. Being free material, there is no means Few times have we stopped to consider the of establishing monopolies and by this revolutionary implications in knowledge the generation of corporations and freedom in the business world. mega multinationals is avoided One of the permanent assertions in Sta- 2. By making work and commercial ex- llmanian philosophy is the question of change easier this allows people to live “free does not mean costless”. And in from knowledge related activity. Ever- firm defense that software freedom must yone in equal conditions for knowled- contemplate the possibility of making ge is free.

Voces libres de los campos digitales 101 From the merging of both characteristics commerce, or impedes at-cost redistribu- we get that, in the intellectual work field, tion of contents in environments where the principals of knowledge freedom easi- these should be sold. ly solveone of the great economical deba- Creative Commons stimulates the authors’ tes of the past centuries. right to free choice more than knowledge People my have means of production, but freedom. Creative Commons does not these cannot be exclusively owned. There forsee its use for software. is right to work and make a living freely and formation of classic monopolist capi- 6.6 InfiniteC apitalism of ideas, talist structures is avoided. or Knowledge Capitalism. That is to say, freedom of knowledge allo- Abundances and scarcities ws moving towards societies beyond capi- Taken form a conference by Diego Saravia talism and/or with socialist perspective, in Montevideo, Uruguay, August 2003, at least in this array of intellectual work. written by Verónica Xhardez. Real workers can live form their work, and monopolist structures that take over The World, is finite. There must be 10.000 appreciation cannot be formed. km between here and Paris, I think. It is finite. It can be measured. Is commerce harmful then? Is the non- free market of current day monopolies Economy is the science of scarcity. the only possible market? One criticism Knowledge is not scarce, hence, it is not to capitalism doesn’t rely so much on the part of economy, it is not property. And concept of open markets, but in the fact if we turn it into property we face a great that it naturally leads to the creation of danger, that those who own that which is monopolies. To everyone according to- infinite become the owners of all that is their work has a guarantee in the ‘copyleft finite. world’, where it is not possible to build a That is why when they tell me that the ‘to each one according to their wealth’. U.S. lost 30.000 million dollars [because ‘Knowledge Freedom’ isn’t opposed with of ilegal license use], or that Bill Gates has “to everyone according to their needs”. 60.000 million dollars [I think] It’s a lie! Those are jokes. Because there is no rea- 6.5 Creative Commons lity, there is no world… the world cannot hold all this. There is not enough oil to We have to be very cautious with licenses hold this, there is not enough water, not such as``Creative Commons’’ with options enough forests, not enough food, not that foresee a “non-commercial use”, whe- enough earth… Economy is finite, and re people are invited to distribute material making proprietors own infinite wealth restricting its “commercial” use, which can only result in them keeping everything particularly sets aside private or paid pu- that is finite. blic schools (many subjects in institutions are financed with state grants), block fair That is why it is a big mistake to assign

102 Voces libres de los campos digitales economic value to ideas, because ideas 7. Some Debates are infinite and those who wrongly start There are some Free Software related de- owning these, are really starting to own bates, some of which are internal to the things that are finite. All this knowledge community, others involve third parties. is going to be worth more than the whole ORU, which is finite, Uruguay has a fini- 7.1 Open Source vs. te space, but there are infinite ways of co- Free Software pying Word or Windows or whatever. [All of Uruguay wouldn’t be enough to pay off Must Free Software be defended because the knowledge being copied in Uruguay.] of its technically more efficient develop- So, we must fight the idea that ideas are a ment model or because of its liberties and property. ethical principles? There are rights. If somebody writes some- This debate hasn’t had too much impact thing they have a right for having written in South America. In fact Solar [Solar: it. What is that right exactly? That which SW]8 has formalized the idea of defen- society grants the author. A programmer, ding it for both causes and included that just like anyone, has a right to charge for into its constitutive principles [Solar:P]. his work. I design a program but I must In spanish, the problem of confusion bet- eat, I have to charge a certain amount of ween the words ‘free’ and costless doesn’t money every month. But I did it step by exist, whereas in English it does with the step: I worked one, two or three months, meaningd of the word ‘free’. The expres- then I charge three months. Sounds ho- sion “Free Software” can be used by both norable, reasonable and logic. tendencies and the debate is reduced to its It is unreasonable that I work for one mon- real importance and not in defining the th, create a program, and because 100.000 community’s identity. million copies of this program are sold I get 00.000 million dollars. This is not 7.2 Politization fair. To top that off, it isn’t fair that it’s not There are other debates that affect the Latin the programmers who own the compa- American Movement more directly that are nies. Because Bill Gates doesn’t program, related to Free Software Politization. he pays a salary to his programmers. He pays one, two or three month’s worth of Some still resist the principle installed more strongly by Free Software in the Continent, work, but sells 100.000 million copies of which is the ideological involvement with which the profit goes to his pocket. Governments and Political Parties. Never- Thus: we must be careful with this. It’s not theless in both the, decree 3390 in Venezuela the authors who are cashing the profits, [Venezuela:DSL-04], as in the beginnings of they just charge a monthly salary like all Free Software in Brazil, , -Porto Alegre-, there of us or most of us. is a strong political and ideological presence

Voces libres de los campos digitales 103 of socialist left-wing. see themselves as technical communities, in many cases only constituted by users. Ten- In general, all segments in the left wing that dencies which strengthen in South America, are involved with the movement, acknowled- because there are not many software develo- ge Free Software as and idea that is strongly pment projects to add value to the technical attached with the ideology and don’t usually structure of Free Software. look down on right wing segments reinfor- cing their positions on Free Software, though this has happened in a few cases. 7.3 FUD - Fear, uncertainty and doubt: freedom of choice, Right wing segments usually defend depo- technological neutrality, litization. The politization of Free Software fundamentalism is theoretically two laned, in practice one In the ideological array of diverse social laned, and has been and continues to be movements, Free Software opponents, to resisted by some conservative groups which fight it, have introduced the idea of free- speak of not getting involved and not letting dom of choice, opposing those of us who Free Software “be stained” by other fights or say that Licensed Software is unethical struggles. Others question if this politization and should not be artificially created by is favorable at a given time and unfavorable law. when there is a change in office, as was the case with Porto Alegre. So they say everyone should be able to choose, choose in this case to limit them- This debate on politics often blends with the selves regarding their rights. In our view, debate on economical development, on pro- the rights citizens should have regarding fits and companies, and on giving priority to the software they use derived directly technical issues. form the human rights stated in the inter- “Politizicers” often bet on Free Software not national convention. being an objective in itself but a means for We believe that people should be able to building a better world, while the “immacu- know the technology they use, should be late” sustain that the only objective in their able to modify it and share it without legal struggle is Free Software. limitations. And we believe that giving private com- In essence, the debate expresses the matter panies the legal empowerment to keep of if “all quests must unite”, linking the so- people from knowing the language that cial movement of Free Software with other describes what software does is building movements, or if a solitary victory should an enclosed and obscure world, mostly be seeked without getting involved with when software is more and more used to control human and material activities. other quests. Many people who think this should be an isolated movement don’t even Licensed software emerges from a legal acknowledge themselves as a movement and fabrication, from incorporating binaries

104 Voces libres de los campos digitales as intellectual works in copyright laws. that derives from the existing monopoly, Changing this law would disappear the which is coming to an end. fabrication and the problem. Maintaining licensed software in these terms is like 7.4 Foundation Debates maintaining the right of one human be- From Ontology in Knowledge Freedom [Sa- ing to enslave another. ravia:OLC-05] “Pro-liberty of choice” parties [ISC:SW] We will identify at least four concepts, blame those who preach Free Software as ideas, approaches or doctrinarian sources an ethical matter of being “fundamen- to support or oppose knowledge freedom. talists”. Occasionally, sectors that defend In the analysis of these we find the root Free Software and who don’t see this posi- of most of the debates the Free Software tion as contrary to Licensed Software, have community holds within itself and with the same opinion. Their usual position is its opponents. that there is place for everyone. Others see Free Software as another way of making These concepts part from different analy- business and the ethical position in occa- tical categories and this is why it is com- sions bothers or limits them. plicated to analyze and structure them without having a previously concealed On the other hand this position grants all ontological stratum. power to the authors, and in practice to the editorials and software multinationals. It is interesting to see the interrelation Hence, the only true freedom for choosing between analyses based on concrete in- within the framework of copyright (licen- terests, from where ideologies can emerge, se writing) rests in their hands. or general interests that might structure ethical discourses. Others may take these Regarding governments, opponents pre- foundations as morals [GAUEE:SW,Boff: ach for technological neutrality [Saravia: EM:03,Gutierrez:EMT], which can also NT-05], contradictory phrase, under the be founded in suitable interests [Odum: idea that one must choose software only AES-80]. Each of these analysis can apply for its technical capacities and not based its own reasoning and, to a certain point, in legal, economical, social and political its scientific tools. advantages derived from it’s free usage. In such way, these conceptual categories: Technological neutrality is a slogan or ideology, morals, ethics, and the interests publicity watchword in licensed software which intertwine with reason, science, campaigns. Anyone can free their soft- consensus and debates to build up a rich ware and compete in equal conditions. It discursive space that connects with dis- is the distributor’s decision. Governments cussions on knowledge societies, while and organizations cannot be attached to economical, social and political realities loyalty contracts, they must be able to es- define the future of humanity based on tablish better conditions. This is a problem software and other fields of knowledge.

Voces libres de los campos digitales 105 Kinds of arguments and counter-arguments

Req. Type [Saravia:SLA-03] Matter YES NO

Nature - Ideas are Free/ A.- Privatizing B.- For progress it must be privatized

(what is) public by nature: delays progress. through law and police enforcement.

D.-That is a fundamentalist moral position, not an ethical one. Copyrights limit human rights. Sharing and consensus. FL can be - Sharing, C.- .- For ethical promoted (or not), but not imposed communicating, reasons, knowledge Ethics or Morals Transparency, [Romero:OPT-05]. Freedom of being supportive (functional) must (what should be) Education, Society. choice. Authors most retain all and informed are all be free. Solidarity, decision power over the use of Human Rights Liberty. their work. Users must be able to choose within options offered by different authors including offered restrictions.

E.- The community is more effective F.- ``This is yet to be seen’’. Let us Quality, Security, - Development and efficient. compete. Technological Neutrality. Advantages Costs model: Let’s compete and Let’s not acknowledge non-technical measure all the factors facts G.-services. No to monopolies. - Economic Model Technological H.- intellectual earnings’ revenues. Advantages Economy based in: sovereignty and Necessary monopoly endogenous development. 8. Rights and Standards This document can be used by anyone under GFDL terms. Does not contain invariant sections; Under w3c standards

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Voces libres de los campos digitales 109 http://bo.unsa.edu.ar/docacad/soft- Saravia:NT-05 warelibre/articulos/ecosoft/ Diego Saravia. http://www.apesol.org/news/52 Technological Neutrality. Artícle in Brecha: http://www.brecha. Hipatia, 2005. com.uy/hnnoticiaj1.cgi?1758,53,0,0,. http://bo.unsa.edu.ar/docacad/soft- Saravia:GI-04 warelibre/articulos/neutro/ Diego Saravia. Saravia:OLC-05 Governments and the Internet Diego Saravia. Hipatia, 2004. Ontologisms in freedom of knowledge. http://bo.unsa.edu.ar/docacad/soft- Hipatia, 2005. warelibre/articulos/internetg/ http://bo.unsa.edu.ar/docacad/soft- Saravia:REC-04 warelibre/articulos/ontologia/. Diego Saravia. Saravia:SLA-03 On wealth, scarcity and capital. Diego Saravia and Comunidad de Hipatia. Towards a measurable science Free Software in Public Administra- for life, evolution and its dissi- tion: Challenges and Opportunities, pating structures. Beyond Eco- 2003. nomics. http://bo.unsa.edu.ar/docacad/soft- Hipatia, 2004. warelibre/articulos/ica http://bo.unsa.edu.ar/docacad/soft- http://www.hipatia.info/docs/dsl. warelibre/articulos/economia/ Saravia:MH-01 Saravia:GAS-05 Diego Saravia, Juan Carlos Gentile, Diego Saravia. Gonzales and Mario Tessa. Software Acquisition Guide for Hipatia Manifesto, 2001 Governments and Big Organiza- tions. http://www.hipatia.info/index. php?id=manifesto_es Hipatia, Marzo 2005. Solar:SW http://www.hipatia.info/docs/com- prasg/ SOLAR. Website. http://bo.unsa.edu.ar/docacad/soft- warelibre/articulos/comprasg/ http://www.solar.org.ar

110 Voces libres de los campos digitales Solar:SLP Varios:Art SOLAR. Varios. Free Software form Politics and Religion Article Collection, 2003. http://ourproject.org/cgi-bin/moin. http://bo.unsa.edu.ar/docacad/soft- cgi/Software_20Libre_20y_20Pol_ warelibre/articulos/ edtica http://docs.hipatia.info. Solar:P SOLAR. Solar Principles, 2004. http://www.solar.org.ar/article. php3?id_article=173

Voces libres de los campos digitales 111 The case of Free Software in Mexico: Blossoming from the stones José Luis Chiquete t is remarkable to notice the based in hydrocarbon extraction and progress achieved by the Free remits from abroad. The weak com- Software movement in Mexico petitiveness of Mexican economy within only a few months sin- has already altered many production I segments in the country, which al- ce the research of the present study were concluded. Nevertheless, this ready demand a better management isn’t actually surprising. Even with of public resources that should be Mexico being a country where licen- destined to renewing national in- sed software use represents the gene- frastructure and also force said seg- ral trend, the movements and “the ments to renew themselves or perish community” have become not only to global competitors. It is expecta- accepted as an integral part of the ble that both the Governments and Information and Communication the Mexican Productive Segments Technologies Industry (ICT), but are already considering ICT’s as a allowed an open egalitarian compe- vital element for achieving this wish tition. for renovation. As it is well stated in the main docu- The Mexican ICT market is huge, ment for this research, it is impossible amidst the local ICT industry li- to generalize on the reality of Free Soft- miting itself to being a distribution ware in each country of Latin America mechanism for licensed technolo- and the Caribbean. The Mexican case is gies, mostly foreign. Nevertheless, very different to those in other latitudes the present market represents only a and the way of facing such reality has small fraction of the real potential opened sources that could even seem market, considering the great exis- strange, considering the disruptive na- ting technological needs. ture of the ideas and technologies ema- nated from the freedom of knowledge The new transparency culture concept. and access to information Due mainly to democratic changes The Mexican that have been taking place during Background the present decade, great efforts have The great setback in the been carried out to make Federal Mexican ICT sector Public Administration more trans- Mexican economy has been acutely parent, to the degree of having today a Federal Law of Transparency and setback regarding technology and  infrastructure, which is undermi- Access to Public Information LFTA ning the socio-economical viability of a country that is strongly depen-  FTAI Published in the Federations Official Diary on June dent of a dwindling industry that’s 11th 2002. http://www.ifai.org.mx/transparencia/LFTAIPG. pdf

Voces libres de los campos digitales 113 and the Federal Institute of Access licies not only affect the Govern- to Information has been created, ment in itself, but all ICT related which is defined by law as follows: activities. “Article 33.The Federal Institute of Mexico has participated in multi- Access to Information is an orga- ple international forums on infor- nism of the Federal Public Admi- mation societies. The most rele- nistration, with operating, finan- vant probably being the rd Latin cial and executive autonomy, in American and the Caribbean Mi- charge of promoting and dissemi- nisterial Forum – European Union, nating the exercising of the right where the Declaration of Rio de Ja- to access information; solving over neiro was signed, stating in point denials on access to information 14 textually: claims and protecting personal in- formation in hands of dependen- “Insisting on the importance of deve- cies and entities.” loping open standards that, in the Thanks to the FIAI efforts, the array of technological neutrality, allow equal access to Free Software, transparency in information cultu- Open Source Software and Licensed re has grown in Mexico, which not Software. In this context, the effor- only implies the ability of accessing ts are valued for developing projects information, but also means faci- and experiences that use Free Soft- litating access to this information ware and Open Source Software. through electronic means in every This work-frame would allow the entity of the Federal Government. production and promotion of te- The matter of information transpa- chnologies and contents that serve rency and access has generated fo- public interest at all levels, main- rums and discussions on the right taining a high level of system inte- to information, which in many ca- roperability to increase scale econo- ses have derived in discussions on mics in public domain benefiting the right to knowledge. mostly developing countries. Cons- ciously taking note of the dialogue The myth of technological on development standards between neutrality public and private entities in both regions. Supporting the objectives of The main ICT consumer is the this dialogue in all aspects related to Federal Government, which also infrastructure, services, applications imposes the technologies that are security and interoperability.” to be used to carry out electronic transactions. For this reason, Pu- blic Administration’s Digital Po-  Website Reference

114 Voces libres de los campos digitales Unfortunately these kind of declaratio- munication technologies, through the ns have mostly been unacknowledged adequate coordination that for this in Mexican Federal Public Adminis- effect is proposed by the Public Func- tration, given that during the present tion Secretariat, with the branches of administration no unified efforts have the Federal Public Administration been carried out to promote techno- and, through the latter, with state de- logical neutrality in Federal Public pendant entities. Matters related to Administration, basically leaving the national security are excluded from decision of using platforms or different this agreement standards to each organization in the At the present time several organizations Federal Government which generally related with Free Software, such as the apply subjective criteria and even give National Chamber of Transformation in to corruption. Industry (CANACINTRA), Through The entity in charge of determining its ICT sector and AMESOL, are achie- Digital Policies in Federal Public Ad- ving the first attempts in participating as ministration is the Electronics and Te- guests (with a say but not a vote) in this chnology Policies’ Unit, which belongs Commission. to the Public Duty Secretariat. In spi- te of the multiple efforts for bridging Piracy, Intellectual Property communication with said unit, carried and Software Patents out by many actors related to Free Soft- Software Piracy ware (including great corporations that sympathize with Free Software), the Mexico is a great piracy consumer in unwillingness in hearing our offers re- all its forms, and software is not the ex- garding technological neutrality has ception. Practically any person or orga- been total and systematic. nization in Mexico uses Licensed Soft- On December 3rd 2005, the agreement ware without buying the corresponding with which the Inter-secretarial Com- license, in such a way that the use of mission for the Development of the Licensed Software in every sector (in- Electronic Government CIDG is pu- cluding those that cannot cover license blished in the Official Diary of the Fe- fares) has become deeply rooted. deration, where it is defined as follows:

“ARTÍCLE FIRST.- The present agree- First and foremost, it is important to ments has as its objective to permanen- clarify that it is not in the purpose of tly create The Inter-secretarial Com- this document to call into question the mission for the Development of the schemes for using licenses, but mainly Electronic Government, which intends to reflect the judicial and social reali- to promote and consolidate the use and ty that occurs everyday; taking into exploitation of information and com- account that the interest of the great

Voces libres de los campos digitales 115 majority of people committed to Free functional Free Software based options. Software in Mexico, are people used to This vision on fighting piracy not only following and respecting the law com- intends to help those users that don’t pletely, independently from criticism or have the resources or will for acquiring conviction towards them. licensed software, but gradually cleans Free Software’s reputation of fomenting Piracy directly affects Free Software in piracy. Mexico, because users that acquire pira- te software don’t feel compelled by the Intellectual Property benefits of Free Software. This type of users have fully utilitarian reasons for All licenses for Free Software and Crea- using software and have no interest in tive Commons base their strength in en- accessing the code, but in tools that sol- suring respect for intellectual property, ve their immediate problems that don’t thereby in Mexico efforts have been do- require learning processes, without wo- ubled so that software developers beco- rrying too much about the legality of me aware that they are creators and have their actions. Facing this, the challenge a right for their original work to be res- for Free Software is to break through pected, as for the terms in which these the inertia generated by apathy, lack of works are published. In this sense, Crea- resources (mainly economic), lack of tive Commons MéxicoCC, which has competitive options and the disrespect the support and leadership of Fulton & towards the present legal code. Fulton S.C. Law Firm, have committed to promoting Copyright Culture among Organizations such as the Mexican creators, artists and developers through Management Association for Free Soft- events and campaigns that consider ware Enterprises, A.C. (AMESOL) spreading these concepts. have approached authorities and orga- nizations in several forums dedicated to Free Software philosophy is already be- fighting piracy in software, such as the ginning to transcend human knowledge Business Software Alliance (BSA), and fields beyond ICT’s, thereby, most to- have established a dialogue, that if cer- pics dealing with intellectual property tainly has found opposing postures in and the means for sharing it freely, have several occasions, it has at least achie- gained much space in the minds of the ved a developing consensus on the need community. to combat software piracy. Software Patents We are convinced that the best way to stop software in software is through Maybe the toughest topic on software educating users on the inconveniences regarding legislation is that of software regarding these habits and by offering patents. options not only for regularizing soft- In Mexico, the figure of software patent ware licenses, but also through totally

116 Voces libres de los campos digitales is still ignored, nevertheless, due to the initiatives in favor of Free Software and Free Commerce Treaty signed with the some others in favor of ICTs in gene- US and Canada, pressure form North ral that are worth mentioning and ac- American Software Corporations are knowledging, as there have been others being felt in relation with homologizing identified as true threats not only for the legal terms on industrial property technological freedom but for freedom protection, and for this reason an inter- of knowledge and public education. est in Mexico adopting this figure. Previously mentioned pressures haven’t Federal Government yet reached a critical level because ICT e-México development in Mexico is still preca- rious, so we’re still in time to avoid the e-México in the Federal Government’s ini- kind of legal impositions dragged by tiative for coordinating the e-government these patents. The matter is already be- dependency of the Communications and ing discussed and a series of lobbying Transports Secretariat. The e-Mexico Na- actions trying to stop the implantation tional System was created during the Go- of software patents in Mexico are being vernment of President Vicente Fox, and carried out. We are making good use has the main objective of coordinating of a great amount of arguments presen- electronic governmental actions in all Go- ted before the European Parliament to vernment Branches. bring down possible initiatives on soft- Even if e-Mexico has the role of coordina- ware patents. tor, ICT resources from States and Muni- cipalities as well as Federal Government Free Software in Government Entities are decentralized, so each sector of - As it has already been commented, the government can dispose of said resour ce adoption of Free Software in Mexi- s autonomously; hence leaving e-Mexico can Government has not been homo- without power to determine general stra- geneous, mainly due to the existent tegies on e-government. Even though the ambiguity between those in charge of e-Mexico system was greatly publicized, dictating digital policies and what they its results have been moderate regarding - actually do. The latter has allowed some digital policies and technological influen ce, even if this coordination made it pos- entities to take measures in adopting sible to display a wide coactivity network these kinds of technologies coinciding throughout the Republic, projecting access also with the imposing of open stan- dards, while other entities remain atta- to communications to the great majority ched to some decision-makers favoring of rural communities through the Digital certain brands or licensed products that Community Centers. Unfortunately, said have impeded this kind of adoption. DCC’s have introduced licensed software in their installations. There have been very important cases of

Voces libres de los campos digitales 117 PIS and www.softwarelibre.gob.mx group all the Mexican Software Indus- try and traced the long term objectives The Presidency Internet System (PIS), is for its development. the organism in charge of revealing elec- tronically all matters related to the Presi- Advanced Electronic Signature and dency of the Republic and from the first Digital Revenue Tax Voucher day of the administration it has imple- As it has been commented, ICT use in mented Free Software based technologi- Mexico is still very basic, reason why cal solutions, which have not only meant the Federal Income and Public Cre- great savings but have generated a strong dit Secretariat (SHCP), along with the and secure infrastructure. PIS is a great Economy Secretariat, thought up a way FS promoter in all government branches. to accelerate ICT’s adoption process Precisely on the initiative of the PIS, the through economical actors in Mexico. softwarelibre.gob.mx portal was created, This is how, during recent years the way which since year 005 aims to inform has been laid for implementing advan- and give guidance on government free ced electronic signature for validating software matters. One of the first syner- legal digital documents. The first step gic results that softwarelibre.gob.mx has was to facilitated the Tax Administra- achieved is reflected in the recent publi- tion System (SAT), so it could receive cation of a free license that adjusts to the on-line tax declarations, which in a governmental legal frameG . medium term will be mandatory for all PROSOFT tax payers and which also facilitated the use of digital revenue tax vouchers with PROSOFT is the Development Pro- the same validity of a paper receipt. gram for the Software Industry, a de- pendency of the Economy Secretariat, The advanced electronic signature is and its main objective is to create the based on open standards and SAT re- necessary elements to promote a strong commends using Free Software such as software industry in Mexico through Open SSL and Bouncy Castle.FEA regulation in founding grants. Since its The SAT’s electronic tax declaration creation it has maintained a continuous service is still strongly linked to licen- and equitable dialogue with all the ac- sed browsers, but slowly the use of open tors from the Mexican Software Indus- standards is linked to greater opportu- try, including AMESOL. nities for Free Software. PROSOFT is an active promoter of te- CFE and PEMEX chnological neutrality, open standards Both greatest Mexican state-dependant and free competition between all actors structures are linked to the energy in- involved. To date it has managed to dustry and both use Free Software in- G SLG http://www.softwarelibre.gob.mx/licencia/ tensely. The PEMEX information sub-

118 Voces libres de los campos digitales sidiary uses big Linux based clusters Free Software for most of their activi- (more than 1000 processors) for seismic ties, achieving extraordinary cost cuts analysis PDPEMEX. While the Fede- and productivity increase. Even the Fe- ral Electricity Commission (CFE) uses deral District Government (GDF) has N free software regularly in many of its its own distribution system GDFLI . operations. Enciclomedia IFE Not everything is good news when it One of the pioneers in the use of Free comes to Free Software in Government. Software has been the Electoral Federal Especially when projects favored by the Institute, since it used a Linux based Federal Executive are not only based in structure for the 2000 presidential elec- licensed software but also put the educa- tions. IFEIBM . tional viability of the country at risk.

States and Municipalities “Enciclomedia” is the digital edition CIAPEM (SMPAIC) of the Free Public Education Secretariat Textbooks. Its main feature is that it has The State and Municipal Public Ad- incorporated diverse didactical resour- ministration Informatics Committee ces such as fixed and animated images, brings together a great number of ICTs interactive media, audio, videos, maps, administrators in several states and mu- virtual tours, elements from the Microsoft nicipalities that to a higher or lower le- Encarta Encyclopedia® , among others, vel have adopted Free Software. None- into the textbooks and lessons studied year theless, the voices that account for the after year by teachers and students all over A benefits of Free Software have increased the country”ENMEDI , to the degree of Free Software being the subject matter for the last CIAPEM This project had the objective of insta- Regional Conference in Michoacán. lling “interactive boards” in approxi- CIAPEMM mately one hundred and one thousand fifth and sixth grade-school level class- GDF y Michoacán rooms for April 2006, to project didac- Both the Federal District and the Sta- tical contents in Encarta formats. te of Michoacán MICHSL have had a The Enciclomedia Project required an long tradition in the use of Linux and investment of around de US$90 million in 2004, and has engaged an approxi-  DPEMEX http://www.politicadigital.com.mx/IMG/pdf/ mate of US $1,800 million investment Pdf_9.pdf M FEIBM ftp://ftp.pc.ibm.com/pub/pccwww/ww/techcon- nect/mexico.pdf N DFLIN http://www.softwarelibre.tlalpan.gob.mx/ M IAPEMM http://ciapem2005.michoacan.gob.mx/cia- A NMEDIA http://www.enciclomedia.edu.mx/Conoce_Enci- pem2005/index.jsp clomedia/Que_es/index.html

Voces libres de los campos digitales 119 from 2005 to 2010.EMEDIA hence the first contact with technologi- cal tools leaves a deep mark in the user, In addition to a series of irregularities which in most cases becomes frustra- that have been occurring in Enciclome- ting and even intimidating. The reluc- dia related bids, the content presented tance to experiment with new options in the classrooms cannot be published is expectably high when the first lear- because it is in Encarta format, which ning experience hasn’t even been close is copyrighted. to pleasant. The implications of allowing public Our mission as Free Software promo- education to depend on restricted con- ters is to provide these users with tools tents that cannot be consulted unless a that make it easier for them to move license is paid are aberrant. from one platform to another without shock, reason for which we have deci- Free Software in PyMEs (small ded to focus our efforts in the migra- and medium size enterprises) tion of applications before migrating to Doing business with Free Software in a completely new operative system, ha- Mexico is a hard chore, considering ving Firefox and OpenOffice.org that that piracy represents the most signifi- run on licensed platforms, as the ideal cant competition. applications to introduce these new users into the Free Software world. More than 80% of Mexican businesses are PyMEs, with limited technologi- cal and economical resources, which Free Software in Corporations in most cases can not spare acquiring Free Software, and mainly Linux, is software licenses. Most of these busi- being adopted quickly by some sectors nesses face the apparent contradiction such as telecommunications and fi- of dealing with technological holdups nance, where the implantation of Free or using licensed software illegally. In Software based technologies and Linux spite of piracy representing an option are not only acknowledged, but recom- for avoiding technological holdups, the mended and supported in a corporative exploitation of this technology is still level. Nevertheless, in some sectors such precarious, restricting itself to a basic as construction and transformation, use of ofimatic programs and the Inter- said adoptions take place more slowly, net through e-mail. due to the lack of specialized tools. In Technological knowledge in PyMEs general, corporative markets are already is not a result of tutorials and formal receptive towards Free Software based education, but of direct experience, solutions, as long as the minimum re- quirements for service and support are covered.  MEDIA2 http://milenio.com/mexico/ milenio/nota.asp?id=73292

120 Voces libres de los campos digitales Free Software as an economical in a medium term. In a medium term, detonator Free Software is good because it wor- As it was previously mentioned, Mexi- ks. can economy lacks a modern techno- The great majority of companies loo- logical infrastructure and to make it king to implement Free Software into worse, the little existent technological their businesses are initially hooked by infrastructure does not fulfill the par- the immediate cost cut facts regarding ticular needs of complete productive licenses; but if these initial implanta- sectors. tions are successful; these companies It is there where Free Software sees a are willing to pay for technology that lot of opportunities for adoption, as solvent their needs. This is how a vir- long as said adoption is paired with an tuous circle of technological appro- adequate assimilation; meaning, that priation begins. where there is technological availabili- The point resides precisely in achie- ty, such availability should be modified ving these implantations successfully in order to cover the particularities of every productive sector or geographic and then offering services that satisfy region. clients not only by working, but by ac- complishing formal standards for each In this sense, Free Software only re- industry. This seems easy, but the big presents a hope for technological sove- problem with Free Software based bu- reignty until there is a real appropria- sinesses does not reside in the amount tion commitment from behalf of all of demand but in the quality offered. the economic actors. In Mexico, university and technologi- cal school graduates do not meet the Free Software Businesses industry’s expectations and have not Curiously, even when one could appa- been formed in the array of an entre- rently think that the demand for Free preneurial innovative culture. Given Software in Mexico is small, it has that the offer is still so small and the to be accounted that in comparison markets are already beginning to grow, to other economies in the region, the it is imperative to renew technological Mexican market is a huge one and pro- education independently from the pre- fessional Free Software based products ferred kind of software, so there can and services’ offer is still very small. be a considerable group of innovative In a country where deciding on the enterprising people willing to change best option is left to the market, the the paradigm regarding technology notion that Free Software is good be- and knowledge in general and Free cause it is cheap, stops making sense Software in particular.

Voces libres de los campos digitales 121 Evolution of the Mexican Free though ideals remain the same. It is Software “Community” time to accept that many of the new- More than a decade has gone by alrea- bies are not looking for philosophies dy since the first hackers form UNAM but for solutions and that there is still (Monterrey Autonomous University) a lot of space for dreaming of changing started the Free Software movement in the world. The “Community” is finally Mexico. Everyday, indicators point out maturing and defining itself. with more insistence that Free Software The “Community” faces the new cha- and forums are beginning to be satura- llenge of being the bridge between old- ted with people willing to know more school revolutionaries and pragmatists about it. searching the benefits of technological freedom. We still don’t know for sure That indefinable unit known as Mexi- if the “Community” will survive these can Free Software “Community” fa- changes, but it is definitely a great mo- ces a key moment. It is about to ack- ment to be a part of it. nowledge that times have changed even

122 Voces libres de los campos digitales