RIght, so I've been blocked by a couple career proprietary software developers who didn't take kindly to having their the 'goodness" of their life's work questioned... Sorta ironic to assert that "Software, it turns out, is not free regardless of license" and that it depends on grants and stuff... as recent arrivals - fleeing a festering trash-fire of a proprietary platform - in a global network of platforms that, far as I know, implicitly contradict that assertion. 1/2
Also, it must suck to go from a melee where one is perhaps renowned and certainly 'respectable' proprietary software developer, to a place where people question whether the work you've done is good for the world or even worthy of respect.
But that's what we - as an open community (and as a planetary society) - need to be doing far more.
If we're going to change as we must, we need to force people doing bad on the planet (and thinking they're good) to re-evaluate their assumptions.
2/2
The problem here could be the word force, perhaps we in a lot of cases can try and suggest what the issue with big tech is, if people don;t want to listen, move along to the next person.
At some point those who didn't listen will be left behind,
Well language is key, we can be assertive we can say I don't use facebook as has no respect for privacy.
I read an article (well it was a translated article) where facebook said they see children as untapped wealth.
@zleap yes, I felt uneasy about using that word... but I also feel that our reluctance to be more assertive has made the process we need to have happen too slow and uncertain... but perhaps you're right.