Open Source Party --> I like Ubuntu Party Better.

[Tim St. Clair]

So in my random percolating thoughts; I've wondered what "open source" means from a political+social level. It does not exactly equate with a general philosophy which needs definition IMO. 

The term "Ubuntu" however implies with one brush stroke a morale, ideological, and social philosophy which is not necessarily defined by "open source".  

To kind of hammer this point, Oracle technically is an open source contributor, and they are total bastards IMHO, but it's questionable at best if they practice "Ubuntu".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ubuntu_(philosophy)

+ what is the 1st hit when you google around Ubuntu but a speech by Nelson Mandela describing what it means. 

Cheers,

Tim

[Trevor Tomesh]

Check out the Ubuntu Party:
http://www.ubuntuparty.org.za/

I believe that "open source" in politics does not stand for an ideology per say, (as republicans stand for the ideology of conservatism and democrats stand for "liberalism" and Ubuntuists would stand for humanity) but a process to arrive at policies and ideologies. For example, if someone were to ask "where does the Open Source Party stand on abortion", how could we answer? What is an Open Source answer to that question? There is not one. Perhaps Open Source principles suggest a way to arrive at this answer, but do not dictate an answer to this question.

Although I am pretty positive which way most of our members would swing their vote.

Trevor

[Tim St. Clair]

Sounds like an ideal subreddit. 

--
Cheers,
Timothy St. Clair

[Ben Goertzel]

Any open source project makes real decisions, though it is always open
to modifying these decisions based on an open process...

Similarly, an Open Source Party will need to arrive at concrete
positions on real issues based on its open process, with an
understanding that no particular position is as key to the Party as
its open process for ongoingly revising its positions...

As for the name "Ubuntu", I think it's too closely associated with one
particular (no longer that great, IMO) breed of Linux, to be a good
name for an international political party...

ben

--
Ben Goertzel, PhD
http://goertzel.org

"My humanity is a constant self-overcoming" -- Friedrich Nietzsche

[Seth Itzkan]

How about the Hakuna Mata Party? ;-)

--
Seth J. Itzkan
www.hutwithaview.com
www.planet-tech.com
www.charlesriverweb.com