Ethical Software - GenerousLabs/about GitHub Wiki

This article describes our vision of ethical software.

Ethical software is software that's free. Free as in freedom. Ethical software is software that supports and enables the sovereignty of its users. Ethical software puts users own data in their own hands.

Ethical software makes it easy for a friend to give the software to a friend.

Ethical software asks users to be generous with the software creators. Ethical software does not demand, coerce or cajole payment. Ethical software users give to the software's creators generously, from a place of pure sovereign decision making.

Ethical software supports an attitude of abundance rather than scarcity. Ethical software seeks to support the free, open, and easy sharing of knowledge, media, information, data, and otherwise.

Ethical software seeks to adhere to standards. Ethical software makes it easy for users to switch to a different piece of software. Ethical software seeks to make data portability an essential feature.

Ethical software is transparent and open. You can easily inspect the details of what ethical software has done. You can easily "lift the hood" and inspect the internal workings.

Ethical software seeks to evolve slowly. Ethical software prioritises a consistent experience for the user over new and shiny features. Ethical software seeks to be highly consistent, to enable muscle memory in its use.

What does ethical software not mean?

Ethical software does not offer a "restricted", "trial", "reduced", "community", or otherwise reduced version. Ethical software does not try to upsell you on add on services. Ethical software does not rely on some piece of tech infrastructure outside the control of its users. Ethical software does not surveil or data mine its users. Ethical software does not engage in vendor lock in.

Ethical software does not have a "cloud". Ethical software does not make decisions "for your security". Ethical software does not automatically install "security updates". Ethical software does not seek to continuously expand its features in a constant mission of eternal growth.

Ethical software does not change the user interface without the explicit consent of its users. Ethical software does not seek to maximise the time you spend using it. Ethical software is not optimising to capture as much of your attention as possible.