From free and open source software to free culture and “internet freedom”; from net neutrality to “censorship,” to demands for unbreakable encryption and absolute anonymity: these and many other terms serve as rallying cries for digital activists from across the political spectrum. Raising questions about what the terms might actually mean, let alone what might be the arguments for and against the causes they seem to represent, is simply to stand in the way of progress. To oppose the favored position is to be idiotic, a Luddite, or morally inferior. Freedom and justice lie only on the side of the cause advocates promote.
These claims should give those of us outside the hothouse of digital advocacy pause. Given the urgency with which digital enthusiasts tell us that projects like open source software and internet freedom are vital political causes, it is odd that we find such a lack of detailed...
