[Fsf-friends] Sharing code, thoughts ...

[Rakesh 'arky' Ambati]

Dear Ramanraj,

   A Very Happy New Year to you,I detest to snip such
a nice post.

  Yes, the essence of life has humble origins,its with
constant sharing,veting that such complex eco-systems
developed.

 Unlike bacteria, humans are not all altruists,the
moment we __think__ of the benfits by sharing or not
sharing, all is lost.Don't you see, the greatest gift
of mankind is its curse.

ha, how I wish we all realise the wisdow of the
bactrium.

Not all is lost afterall ;o) 

Goodnight 

--arky  

 --- Ramanraj K <ramanraj@iqara.net> wrote:

>   Sharing code is a fundamental fact of life:
> 
> <quote>
> Bacteria  have developed  a second  avenue of 
> evolutionary creativity
> that is vastly more effective  than random mutation.
>  They freely pass
> hereditary traits from one to  another in a global
> exchange network of
> incredible power and efficiency.  The discovery of
> this global trading
> of genes, technically known as  DNA recombination,
> must rank as one of
> the  most   astonishing  discoveries  of   modern 
> biology.   Margulis
> describes it  vividly: `Horizontal genetic transfer 
> among bacteria is
> as if you  jumped into a pool  with brown eyes and
> came  out with blue
> eyes.'
> 
> This  gene  transfer  takes  place  continually, 
> with  many  bacteria
> changing up to 15 per cent of their genetic material
> on a daily basis.
> As Margulis  explains, `When you  threaten a
> bacterium, it  will spill
> its DNA into the environment, and  everyone around
> picks it up; and in
> a few  months it  will go all  the way  around the
> world.'   Since all
> bacterial strains  can potentially  share hereditary
> traits  this way,
> some  microbiologists argue that  bacteria, strictly
>  speaking, should
> not be classified into species.  In other words, all
> bacteria are part
> of a single microscopic web of life.
> 
> In  evolution, then, bacteria  are able  rapidly to 
> accumulate random
> mutations,  as  well as  big  chunks  of  DNA,
> through  gene  trading.
> Consequently,   they  have   an  astonishing  
> ability  to   adapt  to
> environmental changes.   The speed with which  drug
> resistance spreads
> among  bacterial communities is  dramatic proof  of
> the  efficiency of
> their  communication networks.  Microbiology 
> teaches us  the sobering
> lesson   that  technologies  like   genetic 
> engineering   and  global
> communications  network, which  are  often
> considered  to be  advanced
> achievements  of  our  modern  civilization,  have
> been  used  by  the
> planetary web of bacteria for billions of years. ...
> ...
> 
> Bacteria, again,  have played a  major role in this 
> evolution through
> symbiosis.   When  certain small  bacteria  merged
> symbiotically  with
> larger  cells and  continued to  live inside  them
> as  organelles, the
> result  was a  giant step  in evolution  - the 
> creating of  plant and
> animal cells . ... ...
> 
> Evidence  has  been  accumulating  that the 
> microtubules,  which  are
> essential  to   the  architecture   of  the  brain, 
>  were  originally
> contributed by the `corkscrew' bacteria known as
> spirochetes. ... ...
> </quote from "the hidden connections" by fritjof
> capra>
> 
> Even bacteria seem to "understand" the value of free
> sharing of code.
> 
> Mud, dust, rocks and other lifeless  things alone
> don't seem to do any
> useful code sharing.   Free code sharing seems to 
> be a very important
> fact  of life,  at the  very core  of our 
> evolutionary  progress, and
> modern  science may  reveal more  and more  of the 
> code  sharing that
> occurs naturally all the time, as narrated by
> Fritjof Capra.
> 
> Sharing code is such a fundamental  element of our
> very being, and its
> importance is most  visible again from the
> spectacular  success of the
> free software movement.  Rapid progress in science
> and arts, is easier
> by  adopting and  sharing innovations.   The very 
> definition  of life
> revolves around  the ability to copy,  share and
> improve  the stock of
> code.  
> 
> We ourselves are the ultimate  products of code
> sharing and symbiosis.
> Any restrictions on free sharing  of code would only
> result in sterile
> still born  products that soon degenerate into 
> lifeless mud.  Through
> free code sharing alone, rapid progress, growth and
> better utilisation
> of resources is possible.
> 
> Happy Hacking :)

> 
> 
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