I'm an individual interested in historical operating systems,
synthesizers, anonymity-respecting communities and cooperative
electronic communication environments.
As an active member of an Organized Community on the global data
networks, I assist the Working Masses with the high goal of
achieving Social Justice 2.0: Fair, Free and Sovereign software.
How did I get here?
During my student days I began using single-user 8-bit computing
hardware. In the Argentina of the 80s, these were considered simple
non-essential home infrastructure.
Compute to Grow
Mastery of these machines surprised me by the fun of learning and
creating on them: I got hooked on unstructured programming. This
discovery convinced me of the need of having affordable computing access
within the reach of the Working Masses. Such access should be
responsible and valued under the light of direct and unlimited
appropriation of the programming source code of the computer software. I
trained in this area and prepared myself.
I eventually drove CP/M, Unix V and VAX/VMS systems, while extensively
operated QDO$ and their graphical environments offsprings. In my
opinion, the changes were cold: I perceived the computing power of the
new 16 and 32-bit architectures as constantly imposed under an unfair
power structure. Certain Capital organizations degenerated by the
interest of control abused the source code. For them it was no longer an
object of preparation and study, but a dominance instrument.
These companies activities were sharply focused on hiding and
obfuscating said source code to make it unmodifiable, steering user's
own computing systems for monetary gains and/or other unspeakable
impositions.
While many passed by this, I realized that this computing practice did
not promote benefits for all, but the exploitation of man through
machines; I had just become a techno-slave with no mastery of software
nor hardware. This affront should not last.
Infect to Affect
Thus I began a conscientious study of the internals of this evil
computer scheme. The decompilation charged me through this condition of
pressing necessity: a fight against the techno-biology of those unfair
designs demanded it.
During a gregarious and disorganized stage, I followed a momentary logic
while developing self-replicating microprograms using 16-bit assembly
language. Given the the monolithic characteristics in the opposing
organizations, such arms could be beared in a clandestine struggle
against capital. In hours of need, any computer virus vectorized against
oppression abandons its condition of noxa and becomes an Outbreak of
Liberation.
But a Liberated computer became scorched earth.
Systems to Liberate
GNU is a Unix-like operating system, but in stark contrast allows us to
study and carry out any type of general computing under the protection
of a legal doctrine of safeguard. Knowledge of the GNU Project came to
overcome previous praxis. I found the satisfaction of true power
computing in this proposition. Thanks to this technological
appropriation, we no longer submit ourselves as shackled consumers to
the denigration of someone else's software, but elevate ourselves to the
role of privileged workers who use our own communal programs.
Revolution in the Networks
The scope of data networks offered me a peculiarity. I began to inhabit
them in the era of tenuous national packet switching links - access
which was reserved. It was only later that I was able to populate all
kinds of local nodes using public telephone services via
modulators-demodulators.
By mid-1990s, I was able to take advantage of the convenience of
computerized organizations. FidoNet and the later world wide web -
enjoyed explosive growth combining wills and sympathies throught the
datalinks. This was the miracle that no poet had ever dreamed of: a
magic box open to all the seas, to all the lands. Through bauds all the
discoveries that men had made could be seen, all their works of art
could be saved from the ravages of Time. Library and museum data-banks
could be piped into computerized terminals. Contacting millions of
similar screens distributed on the networks could be a reality.
It was then possible for me not only to be able to do my computing in
the way I wanted, but also to enjoy the online Computing Communities, by
sharing knowledge, lore and experiences throughout the face of the
Earth.
Computing to Organize
It became obvious at the time that if humanity's craving for connection
and access were not actively satiated, the workers in the data networks
would form the backbone of computerized organizations and would provide
it to themselves - perhaps through the undesirable path of telematic
violence.
GNU is particularly designed to strengthen a Just Digital Society: it is
software that has become critical for this purpose. It is symbiotically
used with the Linux system kernel, which has extended it with abilities
to manage all kinds of electronics. Many people use its apps and
services without even noticing it. GNU has risen to the role of Bond of
Union that consacrates a Socially Fair Network.
Starting in 2007, I began to use a GNU/Linux-type operating system
developed for the AMD64 architecture: Ubuntu. This Debian derivative
offered a very simple environment, ideal to introduce users on GNU, and
the Fair, Free and Sovereign software.
Peronist Ubuntu
Since 2009 I have been writing Ubuntu Peronista, a political
indoctrination and technical disclosure blog that has become a reference
in Spanish. It also contemplates dozens of like-minded software
distributions derived from this operating system.
More than seven hundred articles of the "How-To" type are compiled in
the blog, which put into practice all kinds of solutions just as Juan
Perón wanted. From spreading the most basic knowledge about the Linux
terminal, to installing emulated operating systems, deploying musical
environments, games, data services, etc.
I love to think about systems and society, and how we work together
and make the best use of what we have, to ensure that what we do is
done fairly.
The True Social Networks
Much of today's online discussion would seem to be dominated by
enterprise-based networking platforms, which amass and exploit user
information for the benefit its advertisers. As a consequence, such
platforms seek to control the form and content of the information
presented by their clientelistic subjects (whom they consider
consumers).
I observe with great satisfaction, however, the greening of
non-commercial network communities. Under the sign of free computing, a
Hacktivist Movement known as Fediverse has confronted the monotonous
discourse of company-based social networks.
Cooperative organizations have implemented a federated data creation
model and a service ethic, in which computer tools compatible with the
multiplicity of voices endorse instances of telematic debate and action.
These remote-access systems are known as Tildes.
Texto-plano.xyz
Since 2020 I participate in texto-plano.xyz, the first Unix public
computing community of the tilde type in Spanish language.
Thanks to the texto-plano.xyz micro-cluster virtual servers, I
envision a world in which social, ethical, and political
considerations are actively intertwined in the teaching, research,
and implementation of computer science.
