Decoding Liberation
Home > Computing and Information Technology > Business applications > Decoding Liberation: The Promise of Free and Open Source Software(Routledge Studies in New Media and Cyberculture)
Decoding Liberation: The Promise of Free and Open Source Software(Routledge Studies in New Media and Cyberculture)

Decoding Liberation: The Promise of Free and Open Source Software(Routledge Studies in New Media and Cyberculture)


     0     
5
4
3
2
1



International Edition


X
About the Book

Choice Outstanding Academic Title Software is more than a set of instructions for computers: it enables (and disables) political imperatives and policies. Nowhere is the potential for radical social and political change more apparent than in the practice and movement known as "free software." Free software makes the knowledge and innovation of its creators publicly available. This liberation of code—celebrated in free software’s explicatory slogan "Think free speech, not free beer"—is the foundation, for example, of the Linux phenomenon. Decoding Liberation provides a synoptic perspective on the relationships between free software and freedom. Focusing on five main themes—the emancipatory potential of technology, social liberties, the facilitation of creativity, the objectivity of computing as scientific practice, and the role of software in a cyborg world—the authors ask: What are the freedoms of free software, and how are they manifested? This book is essential reading for anyone interested in understanding how free software promises to transform not only technology but society as well.

Table of Contents:
Contents Introduction 1. Free Software and Political Economy 2. The Ethics of Free Software 3. Free Software and the Aesthetics of Code 4. Free Software and the Scientific Practice of Computer Science 5. Free Software and the Political Philosophy of the Cyborg World Bibliography

About the Author :
Samir Chopra is Associate Professor of Computer and Information Science at Brooklyn College of the City University of New York. Scott Dexter is an Associate Professor of Computer and Information Science at Brooklyn College of the City University of New York.

Review :
As Open Source software continues its successful penetration of mainstream business practice and economic thought, we’re at risk of losing sight of a critical part of what Richard Stallman meant when he said the ‘free’ part of free software is like free speech, not free beer. In Decoding Liberalism, Samir Chopra and Scott Dexter recapture and extend a part of the conversation that will ultimately be much more important than business models, patent and copyright law, or total cost of ownership for a piece of software. What does the open source model offer to political, artistic, and scientific freedom, and thus to the human enterprise of creativity beyond the guts of a computing machine? Their book is an eloquent, thoughtful, adventurous, and exciting dive into what really matters about changing the rules of code.—Steven Weber, author of The Success of Open Source An exceptionally well-written and conceptualized work on an underexplored area of computer science. Summing Up: Highly recommended.—Choice [A] unique, important, and sympathetic examination…Decoding Liberation unpacks the history, ethics, political economy, and aesthetic practice of free software production. Chopra and Dexter examine FOSS as a philosophically inspired social movement built by hackers and wrought through the creation of technology. There is a philosophy and politics to all technology, as the authors repeatedly point out, but FOSS practice makes these more explicit and more visible in ways that make it an ideal target for their interdisciplinary analysis. A technologically grounded and philosophical evaluation of technical practice and artifacts, Chopra and Dexter’s approach is an effective and deeply appropriate fit for FOSS.—Minds and Machines This would be a very useful text for students looking to cover the literature on FLOSS, particularly those from a science background who wish to know more about the social and philosophical side of software development.—Theory, Culture & Society It is the rare work in this space that I can recommend equally to the novice and expert, but Decoding Liberation is one. Additionally, individuals from a broad range of disciplines will be able to find something that resonates here. This is perhaps the work's chief value: because it is accessible to so many, it has the potential to spur further discussion on these issues in a way that many works could never expect. Decoding Liberation is a remarkable collaboration that invites further debate.—Resource Center for Cyberculture Studies As the first sustained philosophical treatment of the Free and Open Source Software movements, Decoding Liberation achieves one thing for certain. By covering broad areas of the philosophical landscape—political philosophy, aesthetics, ethics, and philosophy of science—Chopra and Dexter have shown the range of FOSS issues that can be informed by philosophy. In opting to paint with a broad brush, they have, I believe, opened many spaces for critical dialog.—APA Newsletter on Philosophy and Computers [A] unique, important, and sympathetic examination....Decoding Liberation unpacks the history, ethics, political economy, and aesthetic practice of free software production. … A technologically grounded and philosophical evaluation of technical practice and artifacts, Chopra and Dexter’s approach is an effective and deeply appropriate fit for FOSS.—Minds and Machines This would be a very useful text for students looking to cover the literature on FLOSS, particularly those from a science background who wish to know more about the social and philosophical side of software development.—Theory, Culture & Society It is the rare work in this space that I can recommend equally to the novice and expert, but Decoding Liberation is one. …[B]ecause it is accessible to so many, it has the potential to spur further discussion on these issues in a way that many works could never expect. Decoding Liberation is a remarkable collaboration that invites further debate.—Resource Center for Cyberculture Studies


Best Sellers


Product Details
  • ISBN-13: 9780415876780
  • Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd
  • Publisher Imprint: Routledge
  • Height: 229 mm
  • No of Pages: 214
  • Sub Title: The Promise of Free and Open Source Software
  • Width: 152 mm
  • ISBN-10: 0415876788
  • Publisher Date: 09 Nov 2009
  • Binding: Paperback
  • Language: English
  • Series Title: Routledge Studies in New Media and Cyberculture
  • Weight: 367 gr


Similar Products

Add Photo
Add Photo

Customer Reviews

REVIEWS      0     
Click Here To Be The First to Review this Product
Decoding Liberation: The Promise of Free and Open Source Software(Routledge Studies in New Media and Cyberculture)
Taylor & Francis Ltd -
Decoding Liberation: The Promise of Free and Open Source Software(Routledge Studies in New Media and Cyberculture)
Writing guidlines
We want to publish your review, so please:
  • keep your review on the product. Review's that defame author's character will be rejected.
  • Keep your review focused on the product.
  • Avoid writing about customer service. contact us instead if you have issue requiring immediate attention.
  • Refrain from mentioning competitors or the specific price you paid for the product.
  • Do not include any personally identifiable information, such as full names.

Decoding Liberation: The Promise of Free and Open Source Software(Routledge Studies in New Media and Cyberculture)

Required fields are marked with *

Review Title*
Review
    Add Photo Add up to 6 photos
    Would you recommend this product to a friend?
    Tag this Book Read more
    Does your review contain spoilers?
    What type of reader best describes you?
    I agree to the terms & conditions
    You may receive emails regarding this submission. Any emails will include the ability to opt-out of future communications.

    CUSTOMER RATINGS AND REVIEWS AND QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS TERMS OF USE

    These Terms of Use govern your conduct associated with the Customer Ratings and Reviews and/or Questions and Answers service offered by Bookswagon (the "CRR Service").


    By submitting any content to Bookswagon, you guarantee that:
    • You are the sole author and owner of the intellectual property rights in the content;
    • All "moral rights" that you may have in such content have been voluntarily waived by you;
    • All content that you post is accurate;
    • You are at least 13 years old;
    • Use of the content you supply does not violate these Terms of Use and will not cause injury to any person or entity.
    You further agree that you may not submit any content:
    • That is known by you to be false, inaccurate or misleading;
    • That infringes any third party's copyright, patent, trademark, trade secret or other proprietary rights or rights of publicity or privacy;
    • That violates any law, statute, ordinance or regulation (including, but not limited to, those governing, consumer protection, unfair competition, anti-discrimination or false advertising);
    • That is, or may reasonably be considered to be, defamatory, libelous, hateful, racially or religiously biased or offensive, unlawfully threatening or unlawfully harassing to any individual, partnership or corporation;
    • For which you were compensated or granted any consideration by any unapproved third party;
    • That includes any information that references other websites, addresses, email addresses, contact information or phone numbers;
    • That contains any computer viruses, worms or other potentially damaging computer programs or files.
    You agree to indemnify and hold Bookswagon (and its officers, directors, agents, subsidiaries, joint ventures, employees and third-party service providers, including but not limited to Bazaarvoice, Inc.), harmless from all claims, demands, and damages (actual and consequential) of every kind and nature, known and unknown including reasonable attorneys' fees, arising out of a breach of your representations and warranties set forth above, or your violation of any law or the rights of a third party.


    For any content that you submit, you grant Bookswagon a perpetual, irrevocable, royalty-free, transferable right and license to use, copy, modify, delete in its entirety, adapt, publish, translate, create derivative works from and/or sell, transfer, and/or distribute such content and/or incorporate such content into any form, medium or technology throughout the world without compensation to you. Additionally,  Bookswagon may transfer or share any personal information that you submit with its third-party service providers, including but not limited to Bazaarvoice, Inc. in accordance with  Privacy Policy


    All content that you submit may be used at Bookswagon's sole discretion. Bookswagon reserves the right to change, condense, withhold publication, remove or delete any content on Bookswagon's website that Bookswagon deems, in its sole discretion, to violate the content guidelines or any other provision of these Terms of Use.  Bookswagon does not guarantee that you will have any recourse through Bookswagon to edit or delete any content you have submitted. Ratings and written comments are generally posted within two to four business days. However, Bookswagon reserves the right to remove or to refuse to post any submission to the extent authorized by law. You acknowledge that you, not Bookswagon, are responsible for the contents of your submission. None of the content that you submit shall be subject to any obligation of confidence on the part of Bookswagon, its agents, subsidiaries, affiliates, partners or third party service providers (including but not limited to Bazaarvoice, Inc.)and their respective directors, officers and employees.

    Accept

    New Arrivals


    Inspired by your browsing history


    Your review has been submitted!

    You've already reviewed this product!