Re: [Patents] Software is not hardware, social sciences are not natural sciences.

["Seth Johnson" <seth.johnson@realmeasures.dyndns.org>]

Either way is good.  However, for end game considerations, Jonas's 
point is very important because mathematics and logic are pure.  The 
designation of software as the application of social science has 
beneficial aspects in terms of the fact that certain aspects of policy 
in certain places are on our side with reference to social policy.  
But the nature of social science itself is very slippery, whereas the 
ideality of math and logic puts them in a place that makes them 
utterly impervious to the accidents of history.  For instance, the 
only reason we are even fighting for the freedom of algorithms, is 
because our governing apparatus has been turned against the very 
nature of logic.  Once they are forced to pay attention, our case is 
completely undeniable.  Nobody can ever be allowed to have exclusive 
rights to ideality, in a free society.

Seth

-----Original Message-----
From: Russell McOrmond <russell@flora.ca>
Date: Thu, 11 Mar 2004 20:43:06 -0500 (EST)
Subject: Re: [Patents] Software is not hardware, social sciences are 
not natural sciences.

> 
> On Thu, 11 Mar 2004, Jonas Maebe wrote:
> 
> > On 11 mrt 2004, at 01:14, Gregory Aharonian wrote:
> > 
> > > Software is an application of the sciences of mathematics and
> physics.
> > 
> > Software is only mathematics, not physics. That's why the 
> > Hoare-calculus exists (a purely mathematical model to which you can
> > transcribe every computer program, often used for verification of 
> > correctness), but no Newtonian or relativity software model.
> 
>   Would you suggest that economics is only mathematics?
> 
>   I think there is more to software than just mathematics.  Yes it is
> represented using numbers and symbols which is part of how
> mathematics are
> defined, but believe there is more to it than that.
> 
> http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=mathematics
> 
> "The study of the measurement, properties, and relationships of
> quantities
> and sets, using numbers and symbols."
> 
>   I guess the main point in the context of this conversation is that
> it
> isn't an application of natural sciences, but of social sciences
> which we
> don't try to apply statutory monopolies.  Even if software is just
> mathematics, mathematics is not patentable either, and for good
> reason.
> 
> > Jonas
> -- 
>  Russell McOrmond, Internet Consultant: <http://www.flora.ca/> 
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