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I've gotten all riled up by what I read in the press and online these days, and decided to start doing something about it. The first thing is to write a semi-regular column with commentary and posts to current events of interest.

This column is meant to be accessible to anyone, not just the geek community. You may find it interesting to read, but I'd also like to ask that you forward the URL to your friends or link to it from your web pages.

Today's column in Today's Comments"> is Modern Technology and the Death of Copyright

Comments and suggest links for future articles are most welcome

Regards, Mike Crawford
GoingWare - Expert Software Development and Consulting
http://www.goingware.com
crawford@goingware.com

I've gotten all riled up by what I read in the press and online these days, and decided to start doing something about it. The first thing is to write a semi-regular column with commentary and posts to current events of interest.

This column is meant to be accessible to anyone, not just the geek community. You may find it interesting to read, but I'd also like to ask that you forward the URL to your friends or link to it from your web pages.

Today's column in Today's Comments"> is Modern Technology and the Death of Copyright

Comments and suggest links for future articles are most welcome

Regards, Mike Crawford
GoingWare - Expert Software Development and Consulting
http://www.goingware.com
crawford@goingware.com

I've gotten all riled up by what I read in the press and online these days, and decided to start doing something about it. The first thing is to write a semi-regular column with commentary and posts to current events of interest.

This column is meant to be accessible to anyone, not just the geek community. You may find it interesting to read, but I'd also like to ask that you forward the URL to your friends or link to it from your web pages.

Today's column in Today's Comments"> is Modern Technology and the Death of Copyright

Comments and suggest links for future articles are most welcome

Regards, Mike Crawford
GoingWare - Expert Software Development and Consulting
http://www.goingware.com
crawford@goingware.com

I've gotten all riled up by what I read in the press and online these days, and decided to start doing something about it. The first thing is to write a semi-regular column with commentary and posts to current events of interest.

This column is meant to be accessible to anyone, not just the geek community. You may find it interesting to read, but I'd also like to ask that you forward the URL to your friends or link to it from your web pages.

Today's column in Today's Comments"> is Modern Technology and the Death of Copyright

Comments and suggest links for future articles are most welcome

Regards, Mike Crawford
GoingWare - Expert Software Development and Consulting
http://www.goingware.com
crawford@goingware.com

Everybody go and download Speak Freely from:

http://www.speakfreely.org

• It is free
• It is open source
• It has strong encryption, and comes from Switzerland
• You can set the UDP port number so it can't be blocked
• It runs on Windows and Unix (including Linux) and I'm tinkering with a BeOS port
• It offers a wide choice of voice compression and transmission protocols.

The only thing Speak Freely can't do is call a regular phone. But if the person you're calling has a computer and at least a 28.8 net connection you're fine.

It takes a little figuring out to learn how to use it. It's pretty tricky to get it work on Linux but I understand they've done a lot of work to address that.

Mike Crawford
GoingWare - Expert Software Development and Consulting
http://www.goingware.com
crawford@goingware.com

Everybody go and download Speak Freely from:

http://www.speakfreely.org

• It is free
• It is open source
• It has strong encryption, and comes from Switzerland
• You can set the UDP port number so it can't be blocked
• It runs on Windows and Unix (including Linux) and I'm tinkering with a BeOS port
• It offers a wide choice of voice compression and transmission protocols.

The only thing Speak Freely can't do is call a regular phone. But if the person you're calling has a computer and at least a 28.8 net connection you're fine.

It takes a little figuring out to learn how to use it. It's pretty tricky to get it work on Linux but I understand they've done a lot of work to address that.

Mike Crawford
GoingWare - Expert Software Development and Consulting
http://www.goingware.com
crawford@goingware.com

I think it's very important for someone to go and check the actual text of the bill to determine what constitutes a digital signature. I'm busy with some work right now so I can't do that myself.

I can say that if the law allows for something weaker than what I consider my digital signature, then I'd be really pissed. Also, even if the law provides that strong cryptography be used, how are the signatures to be verified as the ones that the user wants to have as his signature? I used PGP 6.0.2's signature, which I guess is a DSS signature, but what if someone else comes up with a different signature standard and decides to claim that it's my signature?

Do I bring my public keyring into the DMV on a floppy and submit it to them with my driver's license?

As for verified delivery of mail, there is some solution to this, which the US Post Office is starting to use. It's from Tumbleweed Software - a friend of mine used to work there. It's basically a web-based system for verified delivery of messages.

It's important for everyone to understand such things as the fact that, to sue someone, a process server (not the person suing) has to deliver the notice of the lawsuit _in person_ to the person being sued and then file a form attesting to having properly served the process. (Always pay extra to have a cop serve the process!)

It's possible to duck a lawsuit by dodging the process server. I experienced this when I tried to sue my landlord in small claims court for failing to return my deposit. But will they be able to serve processes electronically?

I want to know if there's a way I can ensure that nothing short of my own PGP signature is accepted as my digital signature. If a weaker signature than my own gets accepted as my signature - or yours - we'll have a lot of problems.

Mike Crawford
GoingWare - Expert Software Development and Consulting
http://www.goingware.com
crawford@goingware.com

I think it's very important for someone to go and check the actual text of the bill to determine what constitutes a digital signature. I'm busy with some work right now so I can't do that myself.

I can say that if the law allows for something weaker than what I consider my digital signature, then I'd be really pissed. Also, even if the law provides that strong cryptography be used, how are the signatures to be verified as the ones that the user wants to have as his signature? I used PGP 6.0.2's signature, which I guess is a DSS signature, but what if someone else comes up with a different signature standard and decides to claim that it's my signature?

Do I bring my public keyring into the DMV on a floppy and submit it to them with my driver's license?

As for verified delivery of mail, there is some solution to this, which the US Post Office is starting to use. It's from Tumbleweed Software - a friend of mine used to work there. It's basically a web-based system for verified delivery of messages.

It's important for everyone to understand such things as the fact that, to sue someone, a process server (not the person suing) has to deliver the notice of the lawsuit _in person_ to the person being sued and then file a form attesting to having properly served the process. (Always pay extra to have a cop serve the process!)

It's possible to duck a lawsuit by dodging the process server. I experienced this when I tried to sue my landlord in small claims court for failing to return my deposit. But will they be able to serve processes electronically?

I want to know if there's a way I can ensure that nothing short of my own PGP signature is accepted as my digital signature. If a weaker signature than my own gets accepted as my signature - or yours - we'll have a lot of problems.

Mike Crawford
GoingWare - Expert Software Development and Consulting
http://www.goingware.com
crawford@goingware.com

While it has begun too late to assist in 2.4.0, I have proposed the Linux Quality Database to make it easier and more effective for regular Linux users to give the kernel developers feedback on their builds.

It will also serve as an advocacy and education site to improve the quality of Free Software in general.

If you want to participate, please contact me at crawford@goingware.com or subscribe to the mailing list - instructions are on the site.

Michael D. Crawford
GoingWare Inc

Encryption is already readily available to the masses, quality secure encryption that is free and open source. The problem is, not a lot of people use it, just people who are aware they should. Many people who really, really should encrypt don't use it.

I wrote what I think is an easy to understand page about why ordinary people should use encryption. I'd like you to check it out, comment on how I might improve it, give me links, and most importantly, link to the page and get people you care about to read and and download encryption software.

It's at http://www.goingware.com/encryption

I'd like you all to consider making an active effort to teach people in your companies and community to use encryption. For example, you could bring a PC down to a community center for an evening and teach people how to use PGP and Speak Freely, then hand them out on CD's (by a burner if you have to, or pay a service to burn 50 of them for you, it won't cost much). Advertise this on bulletin boards, community access TV and so on, radio station community service announcements, etc.

Do you support a particular political candidate? Volunteer to teach them and their staff how to encrypt.

Mike Crawford

GoingWare - Expert Software Development and Consulting

http://www.goingware.com

crawford@goingware.com

Encryption is already readily available to the masses, quality secure encryption that is free and open source. The problem is, not a lot of people use it, just people who are aware they should. Many people who really, really should encrypt don't use it.

I wrote what I think is an easy to understand page about why ordinary people should use encryption. I'd like you to check it out, comment on how I might improve it, give me links, and most importantly, link to the page and get people you care about to read and and download encryption software.

It's at http://www.goingware.com/encryption

I'd like you all to consider making an active effort to teach people in your companies and community to use encryption. For example, you could bring a PC down to a community center for an evening and teach people how to use PGP and Speak Freely, then hand them out on CD's (by a burner if you have to, or pay a service to burn 50 of them for you, it won't cost much). Advertise this on bulletin boards, community access TV and so on, radio station community service announcements, etc.

Do you support a particular political candidate? Volunteer to teach them and their staff how to encrypt.

Mike Crawford

GoingWare - Expert Software Development and Consulting

http://www.goingware.com

crawford@goingware.com

Encryption is already readily available to the masses, quality secure encryption that is free and open source. The problem is, not a lot of people use it, just people who are aware they should. Many people who really, really should encrypt don't use it.

I wrote what I think is an easy to understand page about why ordinary people should use encryption. I'd like you to check it out, comment on how I might improve it, give me links, and most importantly, link to the page and get people you care about to read and and download encryption software.

It's at http://www.goingware.com/encryption

I'd like you all to consider making an active effort to teach people in your companies and community to use encryption. For example, you could bring a PC down to a community center for an evening and teach people how to use PGP and Speak Freely, then hand them out on CD's (by a burner if you have to, or pay a service to burn 50 of them for you, it won't cost much). Advertise this on bulletin boards, community access TV and so on, radio station community service announcements, etc.

Do you support a particular political candidate? Volunteer to teach them and their staff how to encrypt.

Mike Crawford

GoingWare - Expert Software Development and Consulting

http://www.goingware.com

crawford@goingware.com

Encryption is already readily available to the masses, quality secure encryption that is free and open source. The problem is, not a lot of people use it, just people who are aware they should. Many people who really, really should encrypt don't use it.

I wrote what I think is an easy to understand page about why ordinary people should use encryption. I'd like you to check it out, comment on how I might improve it, give me links, and most importantly, link to the page and get people you care about to read and and download encryption software.

It's at http://www.goingware.com/encryption

I'd like you all to consider making an active effort to teach people in your companies and community to use encryption. For example, you could bring a PC down to a community center for an evening and teach people how to use PGP and Speak Freely, then hand them out on CD's (by a burner if you have to, or pay a service to burn 50 of them for you, it won't cost much). Advertise this on bulletin boards, community access TV and so on, radio station community service announcements, etc.

Do you support a particular political candidate? Volunteer to teach them and their staff how to encrypt.

Mike Crawford

GoingWare - Expert Software Development and Consulting

http://www.goingware.com

crawford@goingware.com