Slashdot Mirror

Score +1 for DRM, FSF 0. Damn, this sucks. Boycott DRM and HD-DVD! http://writersblocklive.com/boycott/

Actually Steve Jobs throws digital cameras.

http://writersblocklive.com/part-55

Must read articles discuss the real threat (also here) that *IS* going to be included in every disc. Why is there so very little coverage of the boycott?

EFI may have some advantages but *REMEMBER* EFI is part of the Trusted Computing design. Interestingly, I had to dig through to an old January 11 version of the EFI page at wikipedia that details this. It seems like someone has edited out this information:

The Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI) is an updated BIOS specification developed by Intel. Designed for use with trusted computing, it allows vendors to create drivers which cannot be reverse engineered. It also allows operating systems to run in a sandbox, delegating networking and memory management to the firmware. Hardware access is converted to calls to the EFI drivers. The EFI BIOS is used to select the operating system, replacing boot loaders.

I'm not for conspiracy theories but reading the Intel EFI 1.1 spec and looking at how Apple has resorted to locking out XP and requires a separate HFS+ partition to get dualboot Linux on a MacTel. Luckily Linux can be booted from HFS+ but do you think this will always be the case? EFI could be used in the future to prevent untrusted file systems, operating systems, kernel-level (not just EFI) drivers or apps from making use of a computer. So where are we on this /.? I find it stupid that people are chiding Microsoft for failing to include a feature like this. Yet when a real threat is shown that *IS* going to be included, there is very little coverage of the boycott. As much as I hate Microsoft, I'm not giving them crap for not including another device that will take the keys away from MY hardware.

It doesn't have to kill sales if you start locking after everybody has adopted.

The first 2 years of content could be lock free, so lots of people buy the hardware and content. Then they start shipping content that locks to players.

To implement a content-to-player lock must require either by a "phone home" or writeable disc. In the case of "phone home" they could lock up a user's entire library before they knew it was possible. Sure it will be hackable but not legally and not easy enough for the majority of users.

This guy, at least is really pissed.

Both HD-DVD and Blu-ray have embraced this draconian system [AACS], and the studios are salivating at the prospect of you never actually being able to own content again.

My reaction to this abomination is simple: no way in hell. I will not buy any product that uses this crap, and I hope you'll join me in that boycott. Let these morons see the early adopters staying away in droves. - Mike Evangelist

Found this from theInquirer.net. I'd like to see much more awareness from the general public. Once a powerful DRM scheme gets it's foot in the door it's too late. The general public is the only one getting screwed here. Serious consumers will find a way around the DRM scheme the lazy and uninformed force on them.

I personally liked the tone of this blog posting.

I really do get tired of companies that think consumers are there for them to screw over, instead of understanding that to be successful they need to be selling what consumers want.