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Cited by 61Open Source Software InnovationsE-Government and Public ServicesCopyright and Intellectual Property

Coding Free Software, Coding Free States: Free Software Legislation and the Politics of Code in Peru

Open access
Chan, Anita·2004·Anthropological Quarterly
DOI 10.1353/anq.2004.0046
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Abstract

I n December 2001, a legislative proposal was introduced to the Peruvian Congress that would have mandated the use of free software on government computers.The introduction of the bill, dubbed the Law for the Use of Free Software in Government Agencies, or Proposition 1609, 1 added Peru to a growing list of countries pursuing legal measures for the adoption of free software by government.Similar measures had begun in Brazil, Argentina, France, and Mexico-and within a year, they would be joined by dozens of other nationaland local-level efforts in Germany, Spain, Italy, and Vietnam-all seeking to establish official alternatives to the use of closed, proprietary software by government.But it was Peru alone that uniquely managed to capture international public attention in the work surrounding its legislative efforts.Much of the publicity was spurred through the online circulation of a lettermediated exchange between Microsoft's General Manager in Peru-who attacked the bill as a "danger" to the nation's security and to corporate intellectual property rights-and the congressional sponsor of the bill, Congressman Edgar Villanueva, who staunchly defended its support.The letters later became the focus of a wave of international media coverage around the South American nation and its legal proposal.Unlike any other nation considering similar legis-

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  • Findingreasoning

    Peru's legislative effort drew unusual international public attention compared with similar measures elsewhere.

    “But it was Peru alone that uniquely managed to capture international public attention in the work surrounding its legislative efforts.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
  • Findingreasoning

    Beyond practical technical needs, Proposition 1609 asserted a political narrative implicating external global relations of dominance and dependence.

    “Moving beyond arguments that legitimized free software's adoption for practical, technical needs of the state, Proposition 1609 asserted a political narrative that critically implicated external, global relations of dominance and dependence.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
  • Findingnone given

    Within months of Proposition 1609's presentation, Microsoft intervened to reaffirm its formerly unchallenged legitimacy as the government's largest software provider.

    “Within months of Propositions 1609's presentation to Congress, the primary software vendor for Peru, Microsoft, intervened in an attempt to reaffirm its formerly unchallenged legitimacy as government's largest software provider.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • Findingnone given

    Free software proponents mostly reacted to the Peruvian bill by treating it as more evidence of free software's global spread.

    “the dominant reaction of free software proponents to the bill in the months following its proposal was to treat it as simply further evidence of free software's continued global spread.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
  • Findingown data

    Instead of persuading Villanueva, the letter prompted him to build new links between political channels and civilian bodies.

    “Instead, the letter prompted Villanueva to begin to build new links between political channels and civilian bodies.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim. 43
  • May combine two claims. 28

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Findingnone given

    The bill was called the Law for the Use of Free Software in Government Agencies, or Proposition 1609.

    “The introduction of the bill, dubbed the Law for the Use of Free Software in Government Agencies, or Proposition 1609, 1 added Peru to a growing list of countries pursuing legal measures for the adoption of free software by government.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Findingcitation

    Other free software supporters in a Brookings Institute publication urged governments to remain neutral in software acquisition policy.

    “Stanco was echoed by other free software supporters, who, in a Brookings Institute publication aimed at government policy makers themselves (Hahn, 2002), collectively urged governments to maintain a stance of neutrality in software acquisition policy.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Hahn, 2002

      Not checked in the free run.

  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim.

    Findingreasoning

    The bill concluded that this situation required the State to ensure alternative solutions to break the vicious circle of dependency.

    “and concluded,”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim.

    Findingreasoning

    Microsoft's Peru manager attacked the bill as a threat to national security and corporate intellectual property rights.

    “who attacked the bill as a”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim.

    Findingreasoning

    The bill stressed that states' reliance on computational processing in nearly all administrative activities forced governments into dependency on technology created in other countries.

    “It stressed that states' reliance on computational processing in nearly all administrative activities forced governments into”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

    Findingcitation

    Gonzales positioned free software as a technology of risk and predicted domestic devastations under Proposition 1609.

    “Positioning free software as a technology of risk, Gonzales foretold a whole swarm of domestic devastations that could be unleashed under Proposition 1609.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Findingreasoning

    Many free software advocates, especially in the developed North, viewed the rise of movements like Peru's and free software's ties to conventional politics with deep skepticism.

    “the emergence of movements like Peru's to legislate state use of free software, and free software's deepened ties to conventional politics, were developments that many free software advocates-particularly in the developed North-viewed with deep skepticism and suspicion.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Findingreasoning

    Peru's free software advocates combined a vision of the state as needing independence from transnational corporate control with a vision of state authority as restricted and checked by an active public.

    “Peru's free software advocates thus combined a vision of the Peruvian state as needing independence from transnational corporate control with a distinct vision of the state as an institution whose own authority had to be restricted and checked by an active public.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

    Findingnone given

    To Northern free software advocates, politicized arguments for free software appeared to be weak rationalizations and a threat to more legitimate technological justifications.

    “To such Northern free software advocates, politicized arguments for free software not only seemed to be a weak rationalization for a technology's use, but threatened to pollute more”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S1 (asserted), S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

    Findingreasoning

    Gonzales challenged that if open source software satisfies state requirements, no law is needed and the market should freely decide which products give most value.

    “Gonzales challenged,”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Findingcitation

    Tony Stanco warned against imposing politics over rational markets in response to free software legislation in Latin America.

    “Tony Stanco, a senior policy analyst at The George Washington University's Cyberspace Policy Institute, thus reacted to the growth of free software legislation in Latin America by warning against the imposition of politics over rational markets.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Stanco 2003

      Not checked in the free run.

  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim.

    Findingcitation

    The bill cited rapid software update cycles, saying new releases forced governments to choose between buying new licenses, using outdated software, or pirating programs.

    “The bill further cited the rapidity of software update cycles, stressing that the frequency of new releases forced governments to make choices between continually purchasing new licenses, operating with out-dated software, or pirating programs.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Findingreasoning

    For free software participants, the disruptive-technology reading provided reassurance and suggested no change was needed.

    “For free software participants, it served instead as a confident reassurance in their current practices, and a sign that all could proceed stably without change.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Findingcitation

    Proposición was originally founded to support an Argentinean free software bill proposed in 2001.

    “The group was originally founded to support an Argentinean free software bill that was proposed in 2001.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Findingreasoning

    Proposition 1609's language emphasized contemporary legal contradictions and constraints in government software use.

    “Addressing in its text issues of science, technology, and development, Proposition 1609's language emphasized the contemporary legal contradictions and constraints experienced by government in software use.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

    Findingnone given

    Proposición later grew to include members from Latin America, Europe, and North America and became a site for broader discussion of states' use of free software.

    “It later grew to encompass members from across Latin America, Europe, and North America and came to serve as a site for discussing states' use of free software more broadly.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S1 (asserted), S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

    Findingcitation

    Gonzales warned that free software adoption would cause immeasurable state expenditures for technological migration, potential non-interoperability between public and private sectors, destruction of domestic corporate productivity and employment, and de-motivation of the Peruvian software industry due to unprotected intellectual property rights.

    “Among the dangers he warned free software's adoption would inflict were immeasurable state expenditures for technological migration, the potential for non-interoperability of platforms between Peru's public and private sectors, the destruction of domestic corporate productivity and employment, and, finally, the de-motivation of”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim.

    Findingnone given

    In a March 2002 letter to Congressman Villanueva, Juan Alberto Gonzales, General Manager of Microsoft Peru, projected that free software would fundamentally compromise the state.

    “In a March 2002 letter addressed to Congressman Villanueva, Juan Alberto Gonzales, the General Manager of Microsoft Peru, issued his own projection of how free software would fundamentally compromise the state.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Findingnone given

    Congressman Villanueva strongly defended the bill.

    “and the congressional sponsor of the bill, Congressman Edgar Villanueva, who staunchly defended its support.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

    Findingcitation

    Some free software supporters said free software would advance without government involvement, while others said free software preferences would compromise consumer freedom of choice.

    “Some insisted that free software would advance without the need for government involvement (Bessen 2002), while others argued that free software preferences would compromise consumer freedom of choice (Evans 2002).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 2 sources checked
    • cites Bessen 2002

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites Evans 2002

      Not checked in the free run.

  • May combine two claims.

    Findingcitation

    News articles stressed economic reasons for state use of free software, presenting it as much cheaper and linking government interest to poverty and potential savings.

    “News articles repeatedly emphasized economic rationales for the state use of free software, presenting it as a drastically cheaper alternative to closed, proprietary software and stressing that national poverty coupled with the potential for financial savings drove government interest in free software (Dorn 2003, Festa 2001, Stocking 2003, Wired.com 2003).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 3 sources checked
    • cites Dorn 2003

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites Festa 2001

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites Stocking 2003

      Not checked in the free run.

  • May combine two claims.

    Findingreasoning

    Peru's free software advocates actively sought ties with governing bodies, whereas prominent factions had previously viewed such ties as unnecessary or counterproductive.

    “And while prominent factions of free software had previously read social linkages to formal political bodies as unnecessary or even counterproductive, Peru's free software advocates actively sought to build relations with bodies of governance, demonstrating a willingness to engage with traditional political channels.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

    Findingreasoning

    Gonzales predicted economic and technical instabilities and the devastation of presumed healthy and efficient public and private processes in Peru.

    “Crucially, the image he projected of a future with free software predicted conditions of economic and technical instabilities, and the devastation of what were presumed to be otherwise healthy and efficient public and private processes in Peru.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim.

    Findingown data

    Heinz said that greater attention to the state's responsibility to citizens and public dependence on government prompted an expanded orientation toward the state.

    “Heinz explained that it was a heightened consideration of the state's responsibility to citizens and public dependence upon government that prompted an expanded orientation toward the state:”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Findingnone given

    After Villanueva approached Proposición for guidance in the Peru case, the group dedicated efforts to collectively authoring a response to Gonzales.

    “After being approached by Villanueva for its guidance in the Peru case, the group dedicated efforts to collectively authoring a response to Gonzales.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim.

    Findingown data

    Heinz explained that after list members drafted text, they brought it back to the list for criticism until acceptable, describing a participative method of creating law as if it were software.

    “He explained that after a few list members”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Findingcitation

    The Villanueva-Proposición collaboration produced a 10-page, 5,800-word letter that enumerated and refuted each of Gonzales' assertions.

    “The document that the Villanueva-Proposición collaboration later produced was a 10-page, 5,800 word-long letter that meticulously enumerated and refuted each of Gonzales' assertions.7”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim.

    Findingreasoning

    The letter's fundamental guarantees included the state's duty to ensure public data permanence, arguing that dependence on closed proprietary software without funds for new licenses would endanger public data.

    “These “fundamental guarantees” also included the state's role in ensuring the permanence of public data, under the rationale that if states were dependent on closed, proprietary software and were unable to purchase new licenses to keep systems updated, they would put public data at risk.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S1 (asserted), S3 (load-bearing).

    Findingcitation

    Speculation emerged that the Redmond meeting and Microsoft donation had secured the rejection of the pending free software proposals.

    “Speculation began to emerge, however, that despite all official pretenses, the Redmond meeting and the Microsoft donation had secured the rejection of the pending free software proposals (Lettice 2002).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Lettice 2002

      Not checked in the free run.

  • May combine two claims.

    Findingcitation

    The Microsoft-Toledo agreement called for Microsoft to donate resources and services for other government IT projects, including computer training for about 6,000 teachers, a Web portal for citizens to access government services, and three Microsoft training centers for hundreds of IT instructors.

    “The Microsoft-Toledo agreement in fact also called for Microsoft to donate resources and services for other government IT projects, including: providing computer training for some 6,000 teachers, creating a Web portal to let citizens access government services, and building three Microsoft training centers to train hundreds of IT instructors.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Findingcitation

    Gonzales endorsed the agreement in a press release and assigned Microsoft the status of a global corporate citizen.

    “Without a trace of the defensiveness that characterized his letter to Villanueva, Gonzales endorsed the agreement in a press release, assigning Microsoft the status of a global corporate citizen in the process:”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Findingnone given

    Heinz expressed surprise and said they never expected the effort to reach international projections.

    “Reflecting back on global dimensions and mobility that Proposition 1609 came to acquire, Federico Heinz emphasized his own surprise and confessed, “We actually never expected any of it to reach international projections.”13”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

    Findingreasoning

    The letter stressed the state's responsibility as guardian of citizens' records and closed by reaffirming the state's obligation to protect public data.

    “Stressing the state's responsibility as guardians of citizens' records, the letter closed by reasserting the obligation of the state to protect public data:”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim. May combine two claims.

    Findingown data

    The letter began by saying the bill was not driven by economic reasons and instead tied it to the state's fundamental political guarantees and duties to citizens.

    “Unlike the legislation's original language, the letter opened by specifying that the bill was not motivated by economic rationales and specified instead that it was linked to the state's “fundamental” political guarantees and obligation to citizens.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Findingown data

    Federico Heinz, a cofounder of Proposición, compared the mailing-list process used to construct the Argentinean bill to the construction of free software applications.

    “Recalling the processes around the use of Proposición's mailing list to construct the Argentinean bill, Federico Heinz, one of Proposición's cofounders, compared them to the construction of free software applications where programmers network online and openly contribute code to build a single working application.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Findingreasoning

    The letter's fundamental guarantees included citizens' free access to public information, with the implication that citizens should be able to inspect code storing tax records.

    “These included ensuring citizens' free access to public information, suggesting that citizens should be able to access and survey code that, for instance, stored tax records.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Findingown data

    The meeting was formally meant to announce Microsoft's support for Toledo's Project Huascaran, an initiative to provide Internet access for Peruvian schools, and also allowed Gates to present Toledo with a $550,000 donation for other government projects.

    “Formally intended to announce Microsoft support of Toledo's Project Huascaran, an initiative to provide Internet access for Peruvian schools, the meeting also gave Gates the opportunity to present Toldeo with a $550,000 donation to fund other government projects.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Interpretationreasoning

    For the commercial software industry, this disruptive-technology reading signaled a need for dramatic self-transformation.

    “To the commercial software industry, such a reading signaled the need for dramatic self-transformation and adaptation to new technological environments.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    Both the computing industry and free software communities treated free software as a disruptive technology that would inevitably replace outdated technologies.

    “Both the computing industry and free software communities, further, came to position free software as a species of”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Christensen 2000

      Not checked in the free run.

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S1 (asserted), S3 (load-bearing).

    Interpretationreasoning

    Seeking ties between state governance and free software advocacy risked weakening rational and technically based justifications for free software.

    “To actively seek the building of such ties between state governance and free software advocacy, after all, was to risk diluting the rational and technically-based justifications for free software.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Interpretationreasoning

    In the Peruvian legislative efforts, free software became a method for defending states' political and economic sovereignty and for challenging limitations in technological choice resulting from denial of such freedom.

    “Previously framed as a mode of protecting users' fundamental technological freedoms, free software in the Peruvian legislative efforts became a method too for defending states' political and economic sovereignty and for challenging the limitations in technological choice that resulted precisely from a denial of such freedom.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Interpretationreasoning

    Such ties threatened to undermine the movement's belief in individual users' freedom of choice.

    “And it further threatened to undermine what the movement had embraced as its essential belief in individual users' freedom of choice.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Premisecitation

    Biella Coleman characterizes free software's explicit disavowal of formal politics as political agnosticism.

    “Biella Coleman insightfully characterizes such an explicit disavowal of formal politics as free software's own”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Coleman 2003

      Not checked in the free run.

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Premisecitation

    Coleman observes that this political disavowal is rooted in the lived experience of working with free software culture.

    “Such a political disavowal, she observes however, is also rooted in the lived experience of working with and through the culture of free software.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Coleman 2003

      Not checked in the free run.

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Premisecitation

    Coleman argues that practitioners' insistence on non-politicization helps free software circulate by creating a permissive terrain for adoption by many parties.

    “Practitioners' emphatic insistence on their non-politicization, she argues, advances free software's circulation by constructing a permissive terrain that allows its wide adoption by a multiplicity of parties.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Coleman 2003

      Not checked in the free run.

  • May combine two claims.

    Interpretationreasoning

    Where politics was seen as flawed and ideological, free markets were understood as rational, pragmatic, adaptive, and ideologically neutral.

    “If government and political operations were regarded as flawed, non-rational, conservatively rigid, and tainted by ideological motives, free markets could be read as rational, pragmatic, flexibly adaptive, and ideologically neutral.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Interpretationreasoning

    Their dual engagements expressed both an understanding of state and politics as recodable and a hope that an engaged Peruvian public would be entrusted with government's reprogramming.

    “Such dual engagements exhibited not only Peruvian free software practitioners' understanding of the state and politics as variably recodable entities, but expressed their hope as well that it would be an engaged Peruvian public who would be entrusted with government's reprogramming.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Premisecitation

    Free software discourse predicted the stable advance of its inherent truths and technical merit.

    “Not unlike discourses around the progression of scientific facts, free software predicted the stable progression of what it saw as its inherent truths and technical merit (Kelty 2001).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Kelty 2001

      Not checked in the free run.

  • May combine two claims.

    Interpretationreasoning

    Proposition 1609's image of an illegally operating government stressed forced software piracy, while Gonzales's vision emphasized violation of laws protecting free enterprise.

    “Where Proposition 1609's imaging of an”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim.

    Interpretationreasoning

    Free markets were understood as able to recognize free software's technical merit and secure its steady advancement.

    “And where politics was positioned as an entity from which the purity of free software should be protected, free markets were understood as entities that could be relied upon to legitimately recognize the technical merit of free software applications and secure its steady advancement.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Interpretationreasoning

    In responding collectively to Gonzales, Proposition 1609 supporters defended the state's power and reaffirmed government's authority to act independently of corporate interventions.

    “In dedicating their efforts to collectively responding to Gonzales' initial indictment, Proposition 1609's supporters operated in defense of the state's power and reaffirmed government's authority to act independently of corporate interventions.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Interpretationreasoning

    Whereas Microsoft's letter projected risk and insecurity for private and public institutions if free software were adopted, the response described risk and insecurity for citizens' rights if it were not.

    “Where the Microsoft letter had projected a future of risk and insecurity for private and public institutions with the adoption of free software, the response to it narrated instead a future of risk and insecurity in the protection of citizens' rights without it.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Interpretationreasoning

    Microsoft had previously said its technology's place in government resulted from a healthy free market that rewarded technical merit, but now asserted its ties to the state were based on support for civic processes.

    “Where the company had previously insisted that its technology's place in government was merely the product of a healthy free market that elevated technical merit, it now asserted its ties to the state as founded on its support of civic processes.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Premisecitation

    Scholars of digital culture and politics have warned against over-adherence to libertarian ideals that define much online culture and project cyberspace as a utopian arena of individual freedom best existing outside state regulation.

    “Such writers have cautioned against an over-adherence to the libertarian ideals that define much of online culture and that project cyberspace as a utopian arena of individual freedom that best exists outside of state regulation.(Escobar 1994, Lessig 1999, Nelson 1999, Sassen 2000).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 3 sources checked
    • cites Escobar 1994

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites Lessig 1999

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites Nelson 1999

      Not checked in the free run.

  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim. May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    These scholars insist on connections between shaping technology and shaping politics, and between coded virtuality and social reality, and warn of risks in completely separating online individual freedoms from real-world states and polities.

    “Insisting on the connections between the shaping of technology and the shaping of politics, and between coded virtuality and social reality, they warn of the risks of completely disassociating ideals of individual freedoms experienced online from real world states and polities.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 3 sources checked
    • cites Escobar 1994

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites Lessig 1999

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites Nelson 1999

      Not checked in the free run.

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Interpretationreasoning

    The letter restated the case for Proposition 1609 but on substantially different terms from the original bill.

    “It reasserted the justification for Peru's Proposition 1609, but significantly under different terms than the original bill had.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim.

    Interpretationreasoning

    By the supporters' interpretation, politics were malleable and reprogrammable.

    “Politics, by Proposition 1609's supporters' interpretation, were understood instead as malleable and reprogrammable.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Interpretationreasoning

    Gonzales' letter tried to keep decision-making within a closed exchange between a public official and a private corporation, while Villanueva's response opened greater potential for public scrutiny and participation.

    “And crucially, where Gonzales' letter sought to keep decision making processes bound within a closed exchange of letters between public official and private corporation, Villanueva's response unlocked a process of and increased potential for public scrutiny and participation in the decision-making process.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Interpretationreasoning

    Earlier arguments for Proposition 1609 framed the state as a potential victim of transnational corporate domination, while new justifications framed the state as an entity whose political authority and control required restraint.

    “Where earlier arguments for Proposition 1609 emphasized the need to protect the state from external corporate intrusions, situating the state as the potential victim of transnational domination, new justifications positioned the state instead as an entity whose own political authority and capacity for control required mechanisms for restraint.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Interpretationreasoning

    While practitioners argued for protecting state independence and strengthening national government against transnational corporate intrusions, they also insisted on mechanisms to limit and reform government control.

    “While practitioners articulated arguments for the protection of state independence and strengthening of national government against transnational corporate intrusions, they simultaneously insisted upon the establishment of mechanisms to limit and reform government control.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim.

    Interpretationown data

    Heinz drew a critical distinction between the dominant identity of free software and its identity as practiced by Proposition 1609 supporters.

    “He spoke more assertively, however, when he elaborated on what he read as a critical distinction between the dominantly-framed identity of free software and its identity as practiced by Proposition 1609 supporters:”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
61 of 61

  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Free software moved from the margins to the mainstream without government help and mainly through a network of individual coders.

    “Free software's rapid transition from the margins to the mainstream of society, after all, had occurred without the aid of governments and with largely only the support of a network of active, individual coders.”
1 of 1

Cites

Flagged first, then by citations

1 of the 12 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.

Research works printed but not linked: 3

  1. Escobar, Arturo. 1994. "Welcome to Cyberia: Notes on the Anthropology of Cyberculture." Current Anthropology 35(3):211-231.
  2. Evans, D. 2002. "Politics and Programming: Government Preferences for Open Source Software." In Government Policy Toward Open Source Software. R. Hahn (ed.) Washington, DC: Brookings Institution Press.
  3. LinuxJournal.com. 2002. "Conversations: An Interview with Dr. Edgar Villanueva." Linux Journal, May 21. Electronic document http://www.linuxjournal.com/article.php?sid= 6099&mode=thread&order=0 accessed January 20, 2004.

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Authors
Chan, A.
Affiliations
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (US)
Corresponding author
Chan, Anita
Venue
Anthropological Quarterly
Publisher
Project MUSE
Published
2004-06
Volume
77
Issue
3
Pages
531-545
ISSN
  • 0003-5491 (ISSN-L)
  • 1534-1518
DOI
10.1353/anq.2004.0046
OpenAlex
W1991465572
Semantic Scholar
84ce519f1fdb49b92cfda31d8231a5917466123e
Cited by
61
References
12
Citations by year
2025: 1 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 16 · 2017: 1 · 2015: 1 · 2014: 4 · 2013: 2 · 2012: 2
FWCI
5.31
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Anthropological Quarterly (publishedVersion)
  • Project Muse (Johns Hopkins University) (submittedVersion)
  • eVols (University of Hawaii) (submittedVersion)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Computer Science Applications › Open Source Software Innovations
  • Social Sciences › Political Science and International Relations › E-Government and Public Services
  • Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Marketing › Copyright and Intellectual Property
Keywords
free software, open source software, Peruvian Congress, Microsoft, intellectual property, national security, proprietary software

About these checks

Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.

Claims read by deepseek-v4.1-flash under definition version 3 (extract-v3) on 2026-10-07.

Classified by jev-1.13-20260917 (gold-guideline-v0.2) on 2026-10-07.

Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.

Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.

What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›

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