The Dark Side of the Free and Open–Interview with Geert Lovink @ Ars Electronica, Linz, September 4, 2010. By Mateja Rot

Mateja Rot: You entitled your lecture on the Open Source Life symposium at Festival Ars Electronica 2010 The Meaning of Open is Obfuscated. Can you explain what is so problematic about ‘open’?

Geert Lovink: The core of the debate is the following: is there something wrong with the implementation of ‘open’ or should we attack the ‘open’ concept heads on and reject it all together? I am working on this with the Australian theorist Nate Tkacz. The idea of ‘non-commodity production’ is a start here. That’s what is clearly good about things called open: that they are not commodities. The problem is then how to sustain people who want to produce non-commodities within a commodity driven society. When we advocate free and open, and rally against copyright, we have to become aware of the larger economic context, in particular in this long era of recession. Geeks and academics with a stable income have little idea about precarious living conditions. We have to always ask: who is speaking? Who is pushing artists to give away their products for free? Why do they limit their examples to innocent amateurs and refuse to speak about young professionals? Do they have any idea what it means that you cannot make a living from your profession?


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