A Commons of Software Productive Infrastructure, by and for Capital
Summary
The piece argues that software productive infrastructure, including the GNU toolchain and related open source ecosystems, functions as capital goods that reduce production costs for firms. It traces historical links between free software, corporate funding, and the branding shift to open source, arguing that FLOSS is materially progressive but ultimately serves capital. It proposes reorganizing productive assets as a commons to address social needs rather than leaving them as capital-centric infrastructure.