Everything I Need to Know about FOSS Politics I Learned from Poker
338 | Fri 01 Aug 10:45 a.m.–11:30 a.m.
Presented by
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Bradley M. Kuhn is the Policy Fellow at Software Freedom Conservancy (SFC). Kuhn began his work software freedom movement in 1992, as an early adopter of Linux systems & contributor to various FOSS projects, including Perl. Kuhn was FSF’s Executive Director from 2001–2005, began as SFC’s primary volunteer from 2006–2010, and became SFC's first staff person in 2011. Kuhn's work focuses on enforcement of the GPL agreements, FOSS licensing policy, and infrastructural solutions for FOSS.
Abstract
It's an open secret (I mean, it's on my Wikipedia page) that I was paid so little early in my nonprofit career that I had to supplement my income as a professional poker player.
Poker isn't a card game. Well, at least, not primarily. It's a zero-sum (heck, even often a negative-sum) game about people's relationship to money and their fear of loss, played with cards and chips.
I spent my formative professional years in FOSS politics by day and poker by night and weekends.
Game theoretically, Life and FOSS is a positive sum game and we should always remember that. But there are no end to tactical situations in FOSS that are zero-sum, and come learn about how to apply the lessons of good poker.
No knowledge about poker is needed to understand this talk; it starts with a 5 minute crash course in poker and every example given will include the poker version and a "real life" version to go with it. However, plenty of easter eggs will be included for folks who understand poker theory.
It's an open secret (I mean, it's on my Wikipedia page) that I was paid so little early in my nonprofit career that I had to supplement my income as a professional poker player. Poker isn't a card game. Well, at least, not primarily. It's a zero-sum (heck, even often a negative-sum) game about people's relationship to money and their fear of loss, played with cards and chips. I spent my formative professional years in FOSS politics by day and poker by night and weekends. Game theoretically, Life and FOSS is a positive sum game and we should always remember that. But there are no end to tactical situations in FOSS that are zero-sum, and come learn about how to apply the lessons of good poker. No knowledge about poker is needed to understand this talk; it starts with a 5 minute crash course in poker and every example given will include the poker version and a "real life" version to go with it. However, plenty of easter eggs will be included for folks who understand poker theory.