FLOSS has its advantages. It has its supporters. It has attractive qualities. And then there are the things we love to hate.
As with any community, FLOSS is made up of hundreds and thousands of sub-communities. There is a community around each piece of FLOSS software. There are communities that revolve solely around themselves, producing content, although no FLOSS. There are communities which are part of the FLOSS community, but not truly FLOSS in and of themselves. And as with any other community, it can be difficult to gain membership to a community.
Once you have gained admission to the community, there are still disagreements. One of those disagreements in particular is the thing I don't like. Unfortunately, it can be hard to describe. Is it elitism? Is it exclusivism? It is a particular idea that somebody can define the community, and think that they are right. The community as a whole is undefinable.
Part of that is as a result of how the community has formed. There are many individuals who are drawn by the concepts of freedom, and an interest in technology. That is how I was drawn to the community. I am a computer programmer, and an IT consultant. I love freedom, and while I may differ in my views on how best to obtain freedom, and what to use it for, I know what freedom is.
Freedom is the ability to define oneself in the way that works best. It is to not be defined by others. It is to believe what you choose to believe, and act how you wish to act. There are limits, of course, because you must respect the freedoms of others, but to choose your own course, and allow others to do so as well is the goal of freedom. I do not have to agree with your decisions, nor with how you live your life, but because of the respect I have for freedom, I understand that all I can do is disagree. I cannot stop you from making your decisions, although if you are willing to listen, I might explain why I disagree.
Part of the problem, then, is the people who are drawn to the community. They are the so-called Liberal movement. Many people who call themselves Liberal are not truly open to freedom. Take Richard Stallman for example. He has a rather narrow definition of freedom when it pertains to software. If you are unwilling to use his methods, he will fight against you. Many Liberals are the same in their beliefs. They would consider themselves open-minded, and yet if you took a stance that contradicted theirs, they would try and force you to adopt their beliefs.
You cannot have freedom and agreement. To have freedom, you must be willing to permit a degree of chaos, and difference of opinions.
