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[General Discussion] Any reading recommendations on the ethical aspects of FOSS in AEC ?

1. M by marcuspollio on 16 Jul 2023, edited 16 Aug 2023 #

   Hello there!

   Following the topic launched a few years ago on the OS Arch mission statement, several posts have taken an interest in the questions of ethics.

   @kcress proposed a curated list of readings about these issues, but somehow I can't find it anywhere ?

   What reading suggestions do you have (scientific or other papers, journals, books, blogs, etc.) on the ethical and social aspects of using free open source software, particularly when applied to the architectural design, engineering and construction sectors?

   Any topic remotely relevant seems worth investigating and listing, whether it's theoretical, about historical or societal issues, education and pedagogy, economics and finance, justice and law, innovation, the environment and resource management, etc.

   It can also be specifically focused on the questions of tools and the free and open source development approach, or specifically on AEC and the built environment. Point it out, then we can sort or classify afterwards, hoping to feed a bit the wiki.

   Thank you all for your contributions !

2. M by Massimo on 16 Jul 2023 # +1 votes

   Hi, this is actually a pretty interesting topic!

   A list of suggested reading is something that could be very helpful.

   I suggest the book "The Hacker Ethic and the Spirit of the Information Age" by Pekka Himanen

3. M by Moult on 16 Jul 2023 # +2 votes

   Not sure if it's what you're after but I have two old blog posts:

   • https://thinkmoult.com/five-fundamental-facets-of-ethical-software.html

   • https://thinkmoult.com/ethical-implications-of-openbim.html

4. M by marcuspollio on 16 Aug 2023, edited 16 Aug 2023 # +2 votes

   Hi there !

   I recently read a very compelling publication about the impacts the current paradigm of financial capitalism is having on our built and natural environment (and society), the emergence of novel constructed forms of speculation and the way financial tactics are increasingly turning architecture away from its original principles (firmitas, utilitas and venustas) towards entirely different purposes.

   It is not directly related to FLOSS but a few chapters at the end address issues of the digital sphere in labour and means of production, as well as the relationship with FinTech.

   I thought it might be of interest to some people here.

   Soules, Matthew. Icebergs, Zombies, and the Ultra-Thin. Princeton Architectural Press. 2021. ISBN: 9781616899462

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