Re: Ethical Jobs (was Re: [DMCA-Activists] TCPA/Palladium)

[Evan Prodromou]

>>>>> "SW" == Serge Wroclawski <address@hidden> writes:

    SW> [...] limiting oneself to menial labor jobs, while cute speech
    SW> material for RMS, is not something we can or should seriously
    SW> be discussing for people's careers.

I work for freedom because I don't like people telling me what I can
discuss.

    SW> Rather, saying something like "Maybe you can find another
    SW> career, possibly in law, the health profession or some other
    SW> career where you can do good work and not shackle people into
    SW> non-free Software." helps emphasize the point that's at the
    SW> heart of what I believe Free Software is about, and that's
    SW> helping others.

Well, that's all well and good, but there's not a lawyer, doctor, or
social worker out there who has free time to eat lunch, much less to
write Free Software.

I have met more than one person who wants to be a visual artist, but
works instead at an ad agency drawing subliminal phalluses on ice
cubes in whiskey ads. These people inevitably complain, "I'd like to
do something more ethical and with more artistic integrity, but
there's no jobs out there like that."

And I think, "Who ever told you there were good jobs being an artist?"
There are _well-paying jobs_ being an artist, but there are trade-offs
for the money. When you work a job for someone else, you do the work
they want you to do. That's why it's called "work."

If you'd paid close attention, the three professions I chose --
waiter, garbage man, fish scaler (really) -- are relatively well-paid
and usually leave lots of free time for other pursuits. There's a
reason artists of all stripes choose jobs like these.

If one wants to spend time on the software one wants to do, it's
better to think of oneself like an artist. If software freedom is a
high enough priority, you'll find a way to make Free Software. If not,
it is a good idea to remember that one makes one's own priorities.

~ESP

-- 
Evan Prodromou
address@hidden