Enri Marini

Posted on Jul 25

Open Source and Ownership

#beginners #tutorial #learning #discuss

The quintessential problem of this century is ownership - specifically whether you have the real option to truly own the products you paid for.

Ownership dives into the economic and political realms - subjects that many techies believe are trivial, pedantic, and beneath them. Introducing the language of ownership allows us to tap into well known frameworks using the language of assets to accurately depict & intimately cover the complex world of science & technology.

Sadly, this indifference exhibited by many in the tech world is exactly why the current state of the scientific profession is filled with charlatans, bad actors, and influence peddlers looking to ingratiate themselves by exploiting inexperienced customers and members of the public.

These apathetic folks tout "stick to the facts" as a way to avoid conducting due diligence and keeping a status quo - eerily similar to controlled opposition found in social movements like abortion rights. Unfortunately, these same folks fail to accept the reality of the scientific method - which necessitates skepticism of the economic and political kind, in addition to the mathematical one.

This is especially true for manufacturing. The matter of ownership is the foundational topic from which all other aspects of technology-centered discussions derive from.

In the technology world, there is a universal fact that I argue must first be accepted if there is to be any real long-term and equitable progress made on this purported path of "digital transformation".

FACT: Public assets (AKA real open source technologies) are THE only way forward to a digitally mature world filled with jobs that provide a living wage, real competition, strong security posture, and innovation.

The goal of this article is to serve as a comprehensive, exhaustive list explaining in detail EXACTLY how the language of ownership ties into this “technology” driven matter. Let this article serve as an easy reference/cheat-sheet whenever you may find yourself wondering exactly how politics, economics, cybersecurity, open source, right-to-repair, and public assets are inextricably linked with each other.

I have split it into the following sections to make it easier for people to jump between them as they see fit. The sections are "Cost, Security, Politics, Involving the Public, Technology".

I remain steadfast in my belief of the superiority and future of public technology comprising the majority of all technology stacks in the future – both at the hardware and software levels. However, I am also realistic. Pain can be a wonderful teacher and the only capable of reaching those who fail to see rationality & logic. That is why I believe many more practitioners and businesses will need to needlessly suffer harsher financial realities before they acknowledge the above universal fact regarding public assets.

Even then, knowing is only 20% of the battle. Ideally, it is my wish that this pain bring about solidarity within and outside of the technology profession supporting public assets, so that we may build more of them in every facet of life, especially within manufacturing and healthcare.

Cost

Public Assets Are Not Free

Public technologies always have associated costs.
Proprietary tech companies spread FUD, suggesting public assets require significant upfront costs, making them seem more expensive.

Economies of Scale

Public assets leverage economies of scale for longevity and quality. Initial costs are kept intentionally small while a minimally viable product is achieved, then larger investments are sought with support of public funds in addition to private funds, with the caveat that all assets are kept public.
Investors are attracted to the project because they share similar needs and the project asset helps meet their need.
Initial stages are kept proprietary until a minimally viable product is achieved, then released publicly for rapid adoption and integration.

Collaborative Financial Support

Collaboration with governments, companies, individuals, and investors creates financial support pathways.
These pathways help build new businesses and offer deployment management services at various scales.

Shared Maintenance Costs

Maintenance costs are not solely borne by original contributors.
Stakeholders provide direct feedback, fostering a community aimed at the project's success.

Innovation at Lowered Costs

Individuals and businesses can innovate faster without fronting the entire initial capital investment.
Continued development, including new features and security patches, is not at the original contributors' expense.

Reduction of Duplicated Efforts

Public technologies prevent the duplication of efforts.
Businesses can form alliances to collaborate, reducing expenses for market research, capital investment, and cybersecurity staffing.

Lowered Maintenance and Enhancement Costs

Technology development has high initial risk and capital investment.
Maintenance and enhancement costs are reduced due to economies of scale, something proprietary systems can't achieve.

Avoidance of Planned Obsolescence

Proprietary offerings suffer from planned obsolescence, requiring more resources for continued operation and updates.
Public assets provide long-term viability without the need for constant costly upgrades.

Transparent Service Costs

Public access to technology assets allows visibility into reasonable service charges for deployment management.
This transparency helps in evaluating and comparing service costs effectively.

Security

Public Technology Resilience

Peer-reviewed research shows public technology is more resilient to attacks and entropy.
Public technology benefits from greater exposure to exploits, leading to quicker patch creation and improved security practices.

Transparency

Absolute transparency is the only defense against bad actors, both internal and external. Entropy and vulnerabilities are two universal absolutes guaranteed to occur & never go away.
Proprietary systems rely on "security through obscurity," a debunked practice.

Security Through Obscurity

The idea that hiding code prevents compromises is flawed. Just because you cannot see it does NOT mean it doesn’t exist.
Transparency ensures that vulnerabilities are identified and addressed quickly.

Incentives for Backdoors

Proprietary system developers may have incentives to build backdoors and sell secrets to bad actors.
Governments may exploit these backdoors for spying, often unbeknownst to the public.
By the time the public does find out, it's far too late and severe incalculable damage has been wrought.

Public Suspicion

People are suspicious of data and device spying but may not know the full extent.
Open technology allows employees and the public to be aware of any shady dealings.

Audits and Trustworthiness

Proprietary systems rely on "security professionals" whose audits lack standardization and transparency into what exactly they audited & how they did it.
Public technology provides transparency, making it unnecessary to rely solely on someone's word.

Industrial Environments

Security is critical in industrial settings due to dangerous chemicals and heavy robotics.
Open technology ensures safer and more secure industrial operations by being able to directly see, at all times, exactly what the technology is alleging to be doing versus what it is actually doing. This goes for the technology used to load the program as well as the loaded program itself.
The entire system must be absolutely transparent, with the minimum standard being showing the entirety of the code used to build the platform, in order to truly be able to verify & backup any claims made.

Historical Example

Edward Snowden exposed government spying through proprietary backdoors, illustrating the need for transparency.

Politics

Hiding of Information

Proprietary systems often hide critical information, making technologies like vaccines and life-saving pharmaceuticals unaffordable and inaccessible.
Markups on essential technologies effectively negate the benefits of their discovery.

Limited Accessibility

Discovery does not equate to accessibility; proprietary models restrict benefits to a select few.
Despite using public resources such as tax breaks, grants, and public university backing, only certain entities profit.

Public Resources Misuse

Public funding and resources are frequently exploited by private entities for profit.
Taxpayer money supports research and development, but the resulting technologies are not made publicly accessible.

Economic Inequality

Proprietary models exacerbate economic inequality by limiting access to essential technologies.
Wealthier individuals and entities can afford innovations, while others are left behind.

Stifling Innovation

Proprietary restrictions can stifle innovation by limiting who can work on and improve technologies.
Open access encourages broader collaboration and faster technological advancements.

Ethical Concerns

Ethical issues arise when life-saving technologies are withheld from those in need due to profit motives.
Public assets promote ethical practices by ensuring accessibility and equitable distribution.

Transparency and Accountability

Proprietary systems lack transparency, leading to potential misuse and abuse of power.
Public assets ensure transparency and accountability, fostering trust and responsible use of technologies.

Democratization, Government and Corporate Influence

Governments and corporations often influence proprietary systems to serve their interests.
Public assets reduce undue influence by decentralizing control and promoting open collaboration.
Public assets democratize technology, making it available to everyone regardless of socioeconomic status. This promotes equality and social mobility by providing tools for innovation and improvement.

Preventing Monopolies

Proprietary systems can lead to monopolies, limiting competition and driving up costs.
Public assets encourage competition and lower costs through widespread accessibility and collaborative development.

Involving the Public - A Holistic Approach

Human Progress and Diversity

Progress relies on diversity, diffusion of information, and real access to information.
Real access means the ability to obtain and use information to build wealth and achieve social mobility.

Barriers to Utilization

Socioeconomic factors can prevent individuals from making use of accessible information. Difference between being able to use something versus simply having the knowledge of something.
Lack of social equity and connections to key decision-makers can hinder the utilization of information.

The Myth of the Underdog Story

American culture fetishizes the underdog story, but these narratives are rarely reflective of reality.
Socioeconomic barriers and factors beyond individual control make "bootstrapping" nearly impossible for many.

Collective Failure

Society has collectively failed to support many capable individuals due to systemic issues.
Instead, the system often props up exploitative and abusive figures.

Free Dissemination of Information

The free dissemination of information and the ability to use it are crucial for a well-informed populace and democratic society.
Open access to information enables critical thinking, innovation, and informed decision-making.

Power and Control

There will always be groups seeking to assert their will over others.
Open access to information helps counteract the concentration of power and control.

Global Perspective

Issues of information access and control are prevalent even in democratic countries.
Corrupt leaders and systemic inequalities exacerbate these problems globally.

Proprietary Offerings and Ideologies

Predominantly proprietary systems push specific ideologies about ownership and control.
This leads to a loss of free will, critical thinking, and independent thought.

Control Over Destiny

Proprietary systems often strip individuals of the ability to control their own destiny.
Public assets promote free will and independent decision-making by decentralizing control and providing open access to information.

Empowerment through Education

Involving the public in the dissemination and utilization of information empowers individuals.
Access to information should come with the opportunity to use it effectively, fostering a more equitable society.

Combating Propaganda

Proprietary systems can be used to spread propaganda and manipulate public perception.
Public assets and open information counteract these efforts by promoting transparency and truth.

Real-World Examples

Experiences from war-torn and corrupt regions highlight the importance of open access to information.
Ensuring an informed populace is critical for resisting oppressive regimes and fostering democratic principles.

Technology

Ceasing Pointless Duplication of Efforts

Public assets prevent the duplication of technological efforts.
Example: HMI design suffers from terrible UI and insecure data handling due to each OEM creating their own versions.
Adopting open technologies as standards for HMI implementation ensures safer, more secure, and standardized methods.

Improving Security and New Features

Focus can shift to the two most challenging steps post-MVP: enhancing security and developing new features.
Open technologies benefit from economies of scale, reducing the burden on individual contributors.

Shared Development and Maintenance

Public technologies allow for shared development efforts, lowering individual maintenance costs.
Communities contribute to documentation, threat tracking, and security, distributing the workload.

Access to Coalitions

Open technologies provide access to coalitions and communities that assist in various aspects of development and maintenance.
These collaborations lead to reduced costs and increased innovation.

Leveraging Economies of Scale

Open technologies leverage economies of scale for maintenance and development, lowering overall costs.
Shared resources and community support reduce the financial and labor burden on individual entities.

Innovation and Feature Development

Public assets promote continuous innovation as more people contribute to feature development.
New features are developed by a broader community, accelerating technological advancement.

Security Enhancement

Open technologies allow for a collective approach to security enhancement.
Communities track and address threat vectors more efficiently than isolated proprietary teams.

Standardization and Interoperability

Open technologies encourage standardization and interoperability between systems.
This leads to more efficient and compatible technological ecosystems.

Cost Efficiency

Reduced duplication of efforts and shared maintenance lower the total cost of ownership.
Businesses save on development, security, and maintenance expenses by leveraging public assets.

Scalability and Flexibility

Open technologies offer greater scalability and flexibility in adapting to new requirements.
Public assets can be easily extended and customized, meeting diverse needs without starting from scratch.

Collaborative Innovation

Public assets foster a culture of collaborative innovation, bringing diverse perspectives and expertise together.
This collective approach accelerates technological progress and quality improvements.

Transparency and Trust

Open technologies ensure transparency in development processes, building trust among users and developers.
Transparent practices lead to higher quality and more reliable technologies.

Thanks again for your time. See you in the next one.

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DISCLAIMER: I am not sponsored or influenced in any way, shape, or form by the companies and products mentioned. This is my own original content, with image credits given as appropriate and necessary.