Less retarded software (LRS) is a specific kind of [software](software.md) aiming to be a truly good technology maximally benefiting and respecting its users, following the philosophy of extreme [minimalism](minimalism.md) ([Unix philosophy](unix_philosophy.md), [suckless](suckless.md), [KISS](kiss.md), ...), [anarcho pacifism](anpac.md) and [freedom](free_software.md). The term was invented by [drummyfish](drummyfish.md).
By extension LRS can also stand for *[less retarded society](less_retarded_society.md)*, a kind of ideal society which we aim to achieve with our technology.
The definition here is not strict but rather [fuzzy](fuzzy.md), it is in a form of ideas, style and common practices that together help us subjectively identify software as less retarded.
- Being made with a [**truly selfless**](selflessness.md) goal of maximally helping all living beings who may use the software without any intent of taking advantage of them in any way.
- Being [free software](free_software.md) legally but ALSO practically (well commented, not bloated and obscured etc., so as to truly and practically enable the freedoms to study, modify etc.). This may also include attributes such as [decentralization](decentralization.md).
- Being [free culture](free_culture.md), i.e. LRS programs are free as a whole, including art assets, data etc.
- Minimizing [dependencies](dependency.md), even those such as standard library or relying on OS concepts such as files or threads, even indirect ones such as build systems and even non-software ones (e.g. avoiding [floating point](float.md), GPU, 64bit etc.).
- Very portable, non-discriminating, i.e. being written in a portable language (C, [comun](comun.md) etc.), using as little resources as possible (RAM, CPU, ...) and so on.
- [Future-proof](future_proof.md), [self-contained](self_contained.md), [finished](finished.md) as much as possible, not controlled by anyone (should follow from other points). This may even include attributes such as physical durability and design that maximizes the devices life.
- Built on top of other LRS technology such as the [C99](c.md) language, Unix OS, our own libraries etc.
- Simple permissive licensing (being suckless legally) with great preference of [public domain](public_domain.md), e.g. with [CC0](cc0.md) + patent [waivers](waiver.md).
- Elegant by its simple, well thought-through solutions. (This is to be contrasted with modern rapid development.)
- No [bullshit](bullshit.md) such as [codes of conduct](coc.md), tricky licensing conditions etc.
Here are a few bullet points giving further ideas about what LRS is about, also serving as advice for creating such technology:
- [Do one thing well](unix_philosophy.md).
- [Keep it simple](kiss.md), no [bullshit](bullshit.md). Less is more, worse is better, small is beautiful. Don't overengineer.
- Users are programmers. This means users can fiddle with their programs; instead of going to request a feature from the developer, the user can many times implement it himself thanks to simple design of the program, EVEN if the user is not an actual programmer (anyone can ctrl+F keywords and rewrite values in source code).
- Bug reports are [patches](patch.md).
- Customization is [forking](fork.md). A software tool is customized by applying personally selected patches and making personal changes to the source code (configuration is also part of source code) -- this creates a personal fork of the tool.
- Forking is good.
- Users compile their programs. Compilation is trivial and fast.
- Programs are distributed in source form.
- Be selfless, program's goal is only to help its user.
- Programs are efficient.
- No one owns programs, no one owns data, no one owns art, no one owns information. Everything is [free](free.md), legally AND [in any other way](de_facto.md).
- Use universal interfaces (text), be compatible.
- Code is reusable.
- [Hacking](hacking.md) is good. Allow hacking, allow breaking and raping of your program in ways you didn't intend.
- Be [portable](portability.md), respect weaker platforms and platforms of other types.
- Programs are technology (NOT brands, weapons, political grounds, social networks, work opportunities, property, platforms, ...).
- [Work](work.md) is [shit](shit.md), laziness is [good](good.md).
- [Secrets](secret.md) are bad.
- Low level is good, use only minimum necessary [abstraction](abstraction.md).
LRS exists for a number of reasons, one of the main ones is that we simply need better technology -- not better as in "having more features" but better in terms of design, purpose and ethics. Technology has to make us more free, not enslave us. Technology has to be a tool that serves us, not a device for our abuse. We believe [mainstream](capitalist_software.md) technology poses a serious, even existential threat to our civilization. We don't think we can prevent [collapse](collapse.md) or a dystopian scenario on our own, or even if these can be prevented at all, but we can help nudge the technology in a better direction, we can inspire others and perhaps make the future a little brighter, even if it's destined to be dark. Even if future seems hopeless, what better can we do than try our best to make it not so?
There are other reason for LRS as well, for example it can be very satisfying and can bring back joy of programming that's been lost in the modern toxic environment of the [capitalist](capitalism.md) mainstream. [Minimalist](minimalism.md) programming is pleasant on its own, and in many things we do we can really achieve something great because not many people are exploring this way of technology. For example there are nowadays very few programs or nice artworks that are completely [public domain](public_domain.md), which is pretty sad, but it's also an opportunity: you can be the first human to create a completely public domain software of certain kind. Software of all kind has already been written, but you can be the first one who creates a truly good version of such software so that it can e.g. be run on embedded devices. If you create something good that's public domain, you may even make some capitalist go out of business or at least lose a lot of money if he's been offering the same thing for money. You free people. That's a pretty nice feeling and makes you actually live a good life.
{ Here and there I get a nice email from someone who likes something I've created, someone who just needed a simple thing and found that I've made it, that alone is worth the effort I think. ~drummyfish. }
Apart from this software a lot of other software developed by other people and groups can be considered LRS, at least to a high degree (there is usually some minor inferiority e.g. in licensing). Especially [suckless](suckless.md) software mostly fits the LRS criteria. The following programs and libraries can be considered LRS at least to some degree:
- **[FORTH](forth.md)**: Small programming language with very nice design.
- **[surf](surf.md)**: Official [suckless](suckless.md) [web browser](browser.md).
- **[tcc](tcc.md)**: Small [C](c.md) [compiler](compiler.md) (alternative to [gcc](gcc.md)).
- **[musl](musl.md)**: Tiny [C](c.md) standard library (alternative to [glibc](glibc.md)).
- **[vim](vim.md)** (kind of): [TUI](tui.md) text/[programming](programming.md) [editor](editor.md). Vim is actually relatively big but there are smaller builds, flavors and alternatives.
- **[Simon Tatham's portable puzzle collection](stppc.md)**: Very portable collection of puzzle [games](game.md).
Other potentially LRS software to check out may include [TinyGL](tinygl.md), [scc](scc.md), [ed](ed.md), [lynx](lynx.md), [links](links.md), [uClibc](uclibc.md), [miniz](miniz.md), [nuklear](nuklear.md), [dmenu](dmenu.md), [sbase](sbase.md), [sic](sic.md), [tabbed](tabbed.md), [svkbd](svkbd.md), [busybox](busybox.md), [darcs](darcs.md), [raylib](raylib.md), [PortableGL](portablegl.md) and others.
- **[rock carved binary data](rock_carved_binary_data.md)**: Way of recording binary data for ages by manually carving them into rock, plastic or similar durable material.
- **[markdown](markdown.md)**: Very simple document format.
- **[ppm](ppm.md)**: Simple image format.
- **[qoi](qio.md)**: Lossless [compression](compression.md) image format in <1000LOC,practicallyasgoodas [png](png.md).
- **[reverse polish notation](rpn.md)** as opposed to traditional expression notation with brackets, operator precedence and other [bloat](bloat.md).
- **[set theory](set_theory.md)**: Basis of all [mathematics](math.md).
- **[textboards](textboard.md)**, **[imageboards](imageboard.md)** and pure [HTML](html.md) personal websites as opposed to [forums](forum.md) (no registration, no users, simple interface) or even [social networks](social_network.md)
- **[Turing machine](turing_machine.md)**: Minimal definition of a [computer](computer.md).
- **[txt2tags](txt2tags.md)**: Very simple document format.
- old technology such as toys, alert and cars (e.g. the 1980s toy "See n' Say") used to play back prerecorded sounds without using any electronics or requiring batteries, using only a plastic disc that span on needle (in the same way vinyl records work)
*See also [less retarded society](less_retarded_society.md) and [FAQ](faq.md).*
LRS is connected to pretty specific political beliefs, but it's not a requirement to share those beliefs to create LRS or be part of the community centered around LRS technology. We just think that it doesn't make logical sense to support LRS and not the politics that justifies it and from which it is derived, but it's up to you to verify this.
With that said, the politics behind LRS is an [idealist](idealism.md) [anarcho pacifist](anpac.md) [communism](communism.md), but NOT [pseudoleftism](pseudoleftism.md) (i.e. we do not support political correctness, [COC](coc.md)s, [cancel culture](cancel_culture.md), Marxism-Leninism etc.). In our views, goals and means we are similar to the [Venus project](venus_project.md), even though we may not agree completely on all points. We are not officially associated with any other project or community. **We [love](love.md) all [living beings](life.md)** (not just people), even those who cause us pain or hate us, we believe love is the only way towards a good society -- in this we follow similar philosophy of nonviolence that was preached by [Jesus](jesus.md) but without necessarily being religious, we simply think it is the only correct way of a mature society to behave nonviolently and lovingly towards everyone. We do NOT have any leaders or [heroes](hero_culture.md); people are imperfect and giving some more power, louder voices or greater influence creates hierarchy and goes against anarchism, therefore we only follow ideas. We aim for true social (not necessarily physical) equality of everyone, our technology helps everyone equally. We reject [competition](competition.md) as a basis of society and anti-equality means such as violence, [fights](fight_culture.md), bullying ([cancelling](cancel_culture.md) etc.), [censorship](censorship.md) ([political correctness](political_correctness.md) etc.), [governments](government.md) and [capitalism](capitalism.md). We support things such as [universal basic income](ubi.md) (as long as there exist money which we are however ultimately against), [veganism](veganism.md) and [slow movement](slow_movement.md). We highly prefer peaceful [evolution](evolution.md) to [revolution](revolution.md) as revolutions tend to be violent and have to be [fought](fight_culture.md) -- we do not intend to push any ideas by force but rather to convince enough people to a voluntary change.
