The Open-Source Model

Many thanks to Juliana for explaining the significance of "GNU" in our name. I'd like to comment on one more meaning of GNU that has special significance to open-source software enthusiasts. Part of the reason we chose the title "The GNU Public Dictatorship" is that we wanted to emphasize that we believe in the open-source model for government. What is the open-source model? Read on!

Before we discuss the open-source model, we should discuss the traditional model. In a traditional development process the software is made (conceived, written, debugged, and compiled) entirely as a proprietary company secret. The entity that made the software then sells it to users who are allowed to consume the software, but not modify it or understand how it works under the covers. In fact, all of those annoying software licenses that nobody reads essentially say that if you try to figure out what it is doing under the covers that you are in violation of the license and could be sued by the company that owns the software! The reason they don't let you understand it is that if you understood it you could build something by yourself that would be better than what they built, and then they wouldn't get your money! In the traditional model, the only reason to create software is to make money.

The open-source model, by contrast, makes software as a public good. Anyone can look at the "source" to understand how the program was made and how it works. What's more, anyone can improve the software by modifying the source or by suggesting how to improve it. Perhaps the best part of it is that people are free to read, modify, improve, or borrow from the software without fear that some money-thirsty company will sue them. The end goal of open-source software is to please the users, not to get rich.

Our current government is much like the traditional model. Your average citizen may understand what government does, but he or she will likely not understand how it works. What's more, your average citizen has very little power to improve the government or suggest improvements. Only those in power really have any ability to improve the government, but since they are in power they have little motivation to do so. Special interests are able to exploit these characteristics to use the government as a money-making machine.

Here at the GNU Public Dictatorship we believe this is the wrong model for government. The GNU Public Dictatorship pledges to follow the open-source model. We will ensure that our citizens understand how the government works and therefore empower them to improve the government. We are nothing if not committed to you!