The Simple Economics of Open Source

[David Porter]

* Juergen A. Erhard <jae at ilk.de>:

> Fundamental question is: Are we just a complex arrangement of
> bio-chemical (and thus ultimately physical) processes... or is there
> more to being `human beings'?

Both. There is no "just" about complex arrangements of bio-chemical
processes, and who cares whether we are just physical... Of course there is
much more to being human beings, unless you are the greediest of
reductionists. 

> If we are just a collection of bio-chemical processes, it's simple to
> `simulate' or replicate us in machine form[1].

I disagree. Especially with the simple part. Ask someone in AI or cognitive
science whether they feel it is simple. We had better understand how those
processes work before we call them simple!

> If we are more... than it will not be possible.

But that's asking for magic and, that has to be explained too.

> - -- 

Is this type of discussion regular fare for c.l.py? 

  David