[Foundation-l] Religion and conversion and evangelism

[Mike Godwin]

I believe, not wholly irrationally, that much of the discussion about  
how or whether to engage third parties in the free-software, free- 
culture movements is essentially religious.

For some people, the only approach that feels right is a  
Fundamentalist approach -- a potential convert must surrender  
everything, and must prove having surrendered everything, before we  
will even begin to work with the potential convert and teach what we  
believe is the right path.

For others -- think of them as Proselytizers -- the potential convert  
is engaged with, persuaded, argued with, and a little progress is  
given a little reward, while a lot of progress is given a lot of reward.

Me, I tend to side with the Proselytizers, although of course I  
respect the doctrinal purity of the Fundamentalists.

At the same time, I'm wary, because Fundamentalists tend to hate  
heretics more than they hate infidels. When they get angry, it's not  
just the infidels they're ready to string up.

Movements expand, I think, when they welcome potential converts at  
least as much as they test them. I suspect that anyone here who has a  
criticism of Kaltura would find that, if he or she directed their  
criticisms directly to Shay David at Kaltura rather than the  
Foundation for daring to think that Kaltura might be converted, he or  
she would find that Shay is actually quite interested in addressing  
(and fixing) whatever problems you address.



--Mike