[Openmcl-devel] prompt-for-file (embarrassing question)

[Max Rottenkolber]

As a youngster I feel I need to chime in and set some things right.

On Thu, 30 Mar 2017 18:41:01 +0100, Dimitri Simos wrote:

> My broader concern is for the next generation. After all this time, they
> really deserved to be able to get their hands on something at least as
> magical as the diskette that landed on my lap in the late '80s and changed my
> life. Then again, this generation will also fail to see a moon landing as I
> did, or to see a Europe united as I did, or to aspire to US values, or to
> enjoy reading dusty books under bedcovers instead of existing in a
> Whatsappiverse. We're really not being awfully nice to our kids. There, that
> felt good. I'll now shut up, crawl into a dark corner and be quietly old and
> fester.

While I did not see a moon landing, I also did not see a cold war. I did not
see Europe unite, but I did see states loose their sovereignty under it. I see
queers can have more of a life now. I see a strong feminist front that will
reconquer some outposts claimed by patriarchy. I see a united pro-migrant
movement, as well as a fascist build up akin to the 30s. I see a strong
developing world with living standards rapidly rising for the bulk of people. I
see globalization unfold, and a growing sense of international solidarity. In
Germany, we don’t get shot on protests anymore.

Your generation—entrenched deeply in colonialism—seems barbaric to us.

While I did not see Lisp machines, Commodores or Apple IIs, I grew up with a
strong GNU/Linux. I can see the source to all software I run, including the
wonderful CCL. I did not see a Usenet without spam, but I do see that nowadays
even the poorest can access the Internet to scam rich white people for money.

Your generation’s hard- and software—export-controlled, unaffordable, and
exclusive—seems encumbering to us.

In your time, I would not have had access to the technological world I managed
to educate myself in. I would have worked in an Audi factory, never allowed to
learn the things I learned, never been able to visit Asia thanks to the
generous earnings harvested in this industry. I could go on and on...

For these reasons, I have to insist that we focus our forces on free and open
source platforms. I will never run a proprietary MacOS or Windows, and I am
more than willing to put up with the lack of comfort that might ensue.

By the way, since you seem to be into Airplanes, have you heard of “The Wind
Rises”¹ by Hayao Miyazaki? Its a wonderful albeit very sad movie that shaped my
perspective.

[1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wind_Rises