You are forbidden from innovating here

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+---
+title: "You Are Forbidden From Innovating Here"
+date: 2020-11-12T09:12:55-05:00
+draft: false
+tags: [free-software, software, technology, web, internet, social-media]
+description: "Since the creation of the Web, there has been an incredible burst of innovation, that still continues today. In contrast ..."
+---
+
+### When was the last time you heard of someone creating an innovative technology built on top of the Web?
+
+Since the creation of the Web, there has been an incredible burst of innovation,
+that still continues today. In contrast, when was the last time you heard of
+someone innovating on top of Facebook? Maybe you have watched some talk from an
+engineer at Facebook about technology they created to overcome some problem they
+ran into, but that's about it. Innovation on top of Facebook's technology, occurs
+at Facebook. If you do not make it past the interview process at Facebook, you
+are **not allowed to innovate**.
+
+You might have a great idea for how Facebook could better suite your needs, and
+even the skills to implement it given the opportunity. Should Facebook deem you
+"unworthy" of hiring however, it is often *illegal* for you to implement your
+changes.
+
+This is a disaster. The hiring team at Facebook should not have the power to 
+decide who has the right to innovate. Free Software is essential because it
+grants you permission to innovate and create new things with the things you
+already have.
+
+I believe many people understand the situation backwards. They think proprietary
+software is a necessary evil because it drives innovation. The opposite is true
+though: proprietary software leeches off the innovation done by Free Software
+that had been created before it, and that it is built on top of. Facebook would
+not have been possible had the Web not been created as a Free protocol for
+anyone to use and build on top of.
+
+A tangible example of this is Android versus iOS. Let's say I wanted to build my
+own smart phone right now, and sell it for a profit. I can use the Android
+operating system on the device, and even make changes to Android to make it
+better suite how I expect the device to be used. I wouldn't need to special
+permission to do this, and my clients would benefit from having access to the
+existing ecosystem of applications. In contrast, it is illegal to manufacture
+and sell a device with iOS installed on it, without the permission of Apple.
+That's why there are many companies that manufacture devices using Android,
+such as Samsung, LG, Sony, Google, etc. and Apple is the only company that sells
+devices running iOS.
+
+---
+
+In short, the history of technology is a continuous stream of innovation, built
+upon previous technologies. Companies have been allowed to become the gatekeepers
+of innovation in the name of profit. Using Free Software is not breaking the
+cycle, it is allowing the cycle to continue.