It’s fundamental to human nature: People are drawn to power.
Everybody wants it, but not everyone wants to wield it themselves. Most people are content to tap into power held by someone else. Few are capable of handling it in the first place; it does require some talent and a sense of purpose. However, fallen humanity is typically too cowardly and selfish to do it right.
In the Kingdom of Heaven, we recognize that all our power is second-hand. We recognize some part of our natures will demand power over things we cannot handle, and refuse power over things we should. Right this moment, as we see the transition from the Western to the Networked Civilization, we have already begun seizing the power over information. In response, those who hold power unjustly are scrambling to claw back as much information as they can. In virtual space, information is everything.
Recently there has been a significant activist movement fight against the mainstream media. With two brain cells to rub together, you could figure out the MSM are lying about most things, offering the propaganda of the plutocrats to keep them in power. But the narrative slipped away from them long ago, as independent information sources exploded on the Net. Granted, many site pretending to offer that are carefully structuring their offerings to avoid certain things. Caveat lector — reader beware.
On the Network, information is action. Meat space activism seldom brings the desired result. Even more seldom does the desired result stick. But information is a genie that cannot be put back into the bottle. Things may lose our interest, but they remain unforgotten somewhere out there. The Internet never forgets. So for those who cling to unjust power, it’s all about preventing information getting out in the first place, or at the very least, controlling that release. Think of terms like “copyright” and “no tweets during the event.”
It’s the same with Windows and Mac operating systems. I’m not going to evangelize Open Source as a religion, but you know why it’s different. It’s wide open; the information might be very hard to read, but it’s there. Nothing is hidden from the user intentionally. While the developers are often hostile to users’ wishes, quite by accident the developers’ wishes tend to coincide with the users’ best interests.
I am advancing consciously the Networked Civilization, and as my part in the mission, I promote migrating computers to Linux when it will serve the purpose. For now, I favor Lubuntu Xubuntu as the single version of Linux most likely to work for the common computer owner and user (despite the unusual interface). Since it won’t work with every piece of hardware (particularly the RealTek 8188ce wifi chipset), I prepare plain Debian as the backup or Scientific Linux. Each has its own unique advantages and would tend to cover the vast majority of those who aren’t all that eager to leave Windows, but feel it’s necessary. I’m preparing a basic curriculum to help people make the transition without getting lost. (Note: Lubuntu on the most recent test drive was an embarrassing failure.)
When Windows is the only thing that works, I try to find tools that return more power to the user. Too many people let Microsoft and friends make choices for them. Those choices are seldom really in the users’ interest.
By these choices, I return a measure of power to the users’ hands, power that they should have, and should want.
