Truth Shall Set You Free (Or Make You Mad)

Tomorrow in class we will be discussing the Protestant Reformation and free software, specifically the Linux system. Wait? The what system? Yeah, Linux. I looked it up online and got answers of gobledegook. In other words, it didn't make a bit sense to me. Luckily, Dr. Zappala posted some background information that helped me understand the point of the recording. Yet, that initial confusion got me thinking. Eric Raymond is a very smart person giving a factual speech on the Linux. Factual and full of knowledge, but I couldn't connect at all-which alludes to the discussion we've had on the different languages of technology. However, I realized that facts and knowledge are often separated from truth and understanding. With the Catholic Church controlling the Bible and the interpretation of religion, people were getting facts and knowledge but they lacked the personal interaction required to gain understanding. Martin Luther came around (just as Linux did) and told the people that they could have a voice when discussing religion (or computer software). That there were "bugs" in the religious operating system that could not be corrected fast enough by the current set-up of the Catholic Church. So in order to correct those problems, more voices, more discussion, more input is needed. When we interact with something, be it a discussion on religion, literature, chemistry, or computer software, we transition from knowing facts to gaining an understanding of the truth. No wonder we need to interact with new technology in order to gain a true understanding of it!