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Short abstract:

This article advocates the implementation of open education strategies as a way to build critical consciousness and resistance to corporate domination and exploitation in Free Open-Source Software (FOSS) production.

Long abstract:

The emergence of the Free Open-Source Software (FOSS) movement signaled ethical concerns advocating the principles of freedom and unrestricted intellectual property within software development. However, the development of FOSS has also ushered in ethical challenges, including the unbridled exploitation of social commons by corporate entities and the pervasive reliance on uncompensated labor.

The prevalence of large software companies exercising hegemonic control over open-source production and often benefiting from the contributions of unpaid labor underscores the erosion of the movement's founding principles. Moreover, widespread lack of awareness and alienation among the public and software developers perpetuates this new status quo and hinders efforts to challenge established power dynamics.

In response to these challenges, improving ethical awareness among engineers and society at large is an urgent necessity. This article advocates the implementation of open education strategies as a way to build critical consciousness and resistance to corporate domination and exploitation in software production. These strategies involve leveraging open educational resources (OER), such as textbooks, lectures, and other materials that are freely available and openly licensed, allowing for their use, adaptation, and distribution without restrictions. By encouraging interdisciplinary dialogue and community participation, open education initiatives can empower individuals to recognize and confront the constraints imposed by the current technological environment. By making concerted efforts to instill ethical reflexivity and encourage alternative modes of technological development, we can aim for a future where principles such as freedom, equality, and protection of the social commons underpin the ethos of software innovation.