Labor in Illinois

Open Source Software and Open Access to Information

The commercialization of the Internet has been a double-edged sword. On the one hand, we have many more applications, more content, and better search engines than we did in the recent past. On the other hand, commercialization threatens to undermine the promise of the Internet to deliver inexpensive information to any one within reach of a networked computer.

The single most important thing you can do to cut down on unnecessary commercialization is to use “open source” software whenever possible. In the case of web browsing, there really is no reason to use a commercial program because Mozilla Firefox http://www.mozilla.com/firefox/ is free, and it is probably the best browser out there.

In recent years, large media companies have led the charge to make copyright more restrictive. In general, this benefits stockholders over the public and artists. It means that ever fewer works of art, literature, and commentary enter the “public domain” where they can be freely shared. In an effort to balance out the drive to copyright everything, many are turning to the Creative Commons licensing system, which allows authors, artists, and musicians to tailor their copyright in order balance the needs of audiences for free access to information and their own need to retain control over their creations. For more information see http://creativecommons.org/