Libre knowledge

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Libre is a loan word in English borrowed from various Romance languages, including Spanish and French. As in these languages, "libre" in English denotes "the state of being free", as in "having freedom" or "liberty".

During the mid-late 1990s, and moreso during the first decade of this century, the word libre acquired a very specific meaning within certain free/libre and open source software communities[1]: free as in freedom[2] - distinct from the other meaning of free, free of charge (gratis).

Free software is a form of knowledge, knowledge is an expression of culture. Although this collection of pages concern libre knowledge, the principles also apply to libre culture and other libre initiatives inspired by the free software movement.

When searching the web for information on libre software, libre knowledge, and libre culture, etc., also try the search terms "open" and "free".


Libre Knowledge Definition

Libre Knowledge (aka free knowledge) can be acquired, interpreted and applied freely, it can be re-formulated according to one's needs, and shared with others for community benefit. In today's world, where knowledge may be captured and shared electronically, this freedom is not automatically preserved, and we elaborate this definition for explicit knowledge:

(explicit) Libre Knowledge is knowledge released in such a way that users are free to read, listen to, watch, or otherwise experience it; to learn from or with it; to copy, adapt and use it for any purpose; and to share the work (unchanged or modified) for the benefit of the community.

Representations of libre knowledge must be conveniently accessible for modification and sharing. For example, accessible, editable and deployable using libre software and libre file formats.

"Explicit knowledge" is knowledge captured on some medium, usually in a form representable on a computer (e.g. text, sound, video, animation, executable program, etc.).

Users of libre knowledge are free to

(0) use the work for any purpose

(1) study its mechanisms, to be able to modify and adapt it to their own needs

(2) make and distribute copies, in whole or in part

(3) enhance and/or extend the work and share the result.

A knowledge resource may be considered libre if users have all of these freedoms.

Freedoms 1 and 3 require the resource to be in a libre file format and be fully editable and deployable with libre software as defined by the Free Software Foundation.

Learning about libre knowledge

Libre Knowledge
Wikipedia has an article on this subject.

Visit Libre Knowledge for more in depth information



Objectives

Invitation to collaborate and learn:

  • Understand the roots of Libre Knowledge: from free software, to open source, to FLOSS and software libre.
  • Participate in contemporary discussions and debates about
    • "free" vs "libre" vs "open"
    • implications of commons-based peer production for individuals (you), organisations, institutions and economies
    • implications for sustainability of a libre knowledge society
  • Decide whether going "libre" is for you.
  • Be able to advocate this perspective effectively.




Assignment

Design your own learning outcomes while engaging in these activities:

  1. Read about the philosophy and rationale of libre knowledge
  2. Comment on:
  3. Discuss the issues around the development of a libre puro license, and
    • possibly draft one in detail (if that is deemed appropriate)
  4. Develop a set resources for advocacy of libre knowledge
  5. Engage in discussion towards collective wisdom.
  6. Go forth and liberate knowledge :-).





Web Resources

Check out:




See Also

References

  1. See Quo vadis, libre software? by Jes´s M. Gonz´lez-Barahona.
  2. See gratis vs libre on Wikipedia.
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