[sf-lug] inventing a new frontier...

[Lx Rudis]

--- Sameer Verma <sverma at sfsu.edu> wrote:

> Sugar has grown a lot, but there is a long way to
> go. "Foot in the door"
> only works if you push the door after you jam it
> with your shoe!

whew.  thank you for the incredible reply, sameer!

...the ideas this opens, well i don't know if it's
appropriate for this list, but here goes:

in the 1700s, we had an iffy but apparently workable
relationship with the 'locals' in these parts.  after
a while, pressure of economy and i suppose natural
expansionist drives turned that relationship - i'm
sure someone will correct me on this - and suddenly
*poof* we had a 'new, unspoiled frontier'.

we expanded.  killed a lot of meat animals.  killed
off a bunch of 'savages'.  eventually wound up on the
west coast and covered most everything with asphalt
and oil smoke.  in the meantime, ideas and riches were
conceived within that 'new' frontier's envelope.

many years and wars later, here we are.

when i look at OLPC and the battle brewing, i see
another similar frontier.  it's not the same, linux
folk are not Indians.  but for me it all bears
consideration.

mesh computing and related technology form a sort of
new frontier, in my mind.  and linux folk tend to be a
bit less businesslike - hippie stuff, to coin a
phrase.

in the midst of all that, i think that the honest
ideas percolate forward, and although the path may be
troubled, it's worthwhile.

sometimes it takes several lifetimes to execute a
concept which, by rights,  ought to take seed and grow
in months.  i think it's about human condition, human
tendencies, and in those circumstances, a hell of a
lot of 'grace' is called for.

...ok, that's it.  specious spant is done, delete this
and move on.  but please consider both the advantage
and disadvantage of an immense business concern
expanding out in the wilderness.  sure, a few
'savages' will die, but perhaps their philosophy will
take root?

perhaps it's our job to see to it that it happens? 
our our hobby?  our avocation?  our art?

xout