This is what the FSF has been preaching for years. Their claim is that Free Software is the most capitalistic of them all: the consumer gets a choice in who supports it, and anyone can open a support/consulting business. Red Hat is probably the most successful company running on this model.
It doesn't make sense to try to stuff software into socialism/capitalism boxes which essentially deals with ownership/distribution of scarce goods. Software is not scarce at all.
In a way open source is perfectly socialist: There is almost perfect shared ownership of the production means (the software itself is free, the means to create new software - your brain and a computer that can run Linux - is well within the reach of anyone just moderately motivated.).
On the other hand, it's perfectly capitalist, libertarian and free market: You alone own what you produce (provided you alone created it). No-one can tell you what to do (unless you let them) and it's hard to imagine a field where it is easier to become your own boss. Competition is fierce, creative destruction rules, the entire field surges ahead at a blinding pace.
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This is what the FSF has been preaching for years. Their claim is that Free Software is the most capitalistic of them all: the consumer gets a choice in who supports it, and anyone can open a support/consulting business. Red Hat is probably the most successful company running on this model.
Uh... I think it's a bit far-fetched to think of Richard Stallman has a pro-capitalist. He is at best a social-democrat from what I've read.
But not from what _he_ says...
It doesn't make sense to try to stuff software into socialism/capitalism boxes which essentially deals with ownership/distribution of scarce goods. Software is not scarce at all.
In a way open source is perfectly socialist: There is almost perfect shared ownership of the production means (the software itself is free, the means to create new software - your brain and a computer that can run Linux - is well within the reach of anyone just moderately motivated.).
On the other hand, it's perfectly capitalist, libertarian and free market: You alone own what you produce (provided you alone created it). No-one can tell you what to do (unless you let them) and it's hard to imagine a field where it is easier to become your own boss. Competition is fierce, creative destruction rules, the entire field surges ahead at a blinding pace.