Omniscience Protocol

solidox writes "There is a new RFC discussing the Omniscience Protocol. It proposes that every computer be installed with an OP Client which would allow law enforcement ('Good guys.') and copyright holders (RIAA, MPAA) to remotely destroy the computer of any user who has been involved in copyright infringement ('evil-doer'). The client will be completely undetectable and unremovable by even the most skilled hacker. It also must be able to report to the server at any time. 'The OP must be able to communicate through uncooperative firewalls, NATs, and when the computer is disconnected from the Internet.' So if your computer randomly blows up in the next while, you can put the blame on this."

Comments

Old News!

[American AC in Paris]

C'mon, Slashdot. The alpha version of this has been avaliable since, like, the dawn of time.

(Call me before they go gold with the omega release, though...)

Scariest thing I have every read

[panxerox]

This is the scariest thing I have every read. Basically what is being said is that since you the consumer have abused your freedom (in the implied words of Hatch et.al) you now loose that freedom and will be punished at the will and whim of the Corporate (tm). In the minds (and I use that term loosely) of these people the freedoms that we have enjoyed as a people were never really ours but were theirs to dole out as they saw fit, to their benefit to their profit. The veil has been lifted and we now see the true face of our would be oppressors.

Re:Scariest thing I have every read

[TXH-88]

Oh boy, I think ye've loosed it now.

Remote Destruction

[dolo666]

"The client will be completely undetectable and unremovable by even the most skilled hacker."

This statement reminded me of the "hacker" from the movie The Core, who asked for an unlimited supply of hotpockets and Xena tapes. But I've seen this post before, or is it deja vu? Fact is, any system that can be built, can be bypassed, so I don't know what the hell he's talking about.

Who cares about the RFC..

[xTK-421x]

The real thing I want to know is how many times are we going to see this posted today?

Finally!

[BlackLeader]

Now the world will be free from pirates forever! No more swabbin' the deck and leerin' at young lasses at ports of call! Today is a great victory for democracy!

communicate disconnected from the internet?

[eljasbo]

I wonder if putting tinfoil around my computer would circumvent this?

Re:communicate disconnected from the internet?

[Manfre]

Tin foil may not do the trick...try really strong magnets. :)

Why?

[vurg]

Why did the author write this RFC? Is he sucking up to the feds/RIAA?

Misprint

[ArmenTanzarian]

"to remotely destroy the computer of any user who has been involved in copyright infringement"

I think they actually meant:
"to remotely destroy the user of any computer who has been involved in copyright infringement"

sigh

[Anonymous Coward]

The only news on /. I'll believe on April 1 are stories about SCO being scum or Microsoft being evil monopolists.

Will this be based on RFC 3514?

[Chairboy]

Will this be based on RFC 3514? The RIAA could easily scan for systems with the 'evil bit' set to reduce the risk of accidentally hitting an innocent system.

http://www.faqs.org/rfcs/rfc3514.html

It's going to be a loooong day.

[SysPig]

I think I'll just come back tomorrow.

SPAM Mails are more believable

[bdigit]

The emails claiming to add 3 inches to my wang are more believable then /.'s april fools jokes.

Re:SPAM Mails are more believable

[defsdoor]

Time to upgrade your computer Sir! Wang haven't been making machines now for donkey's years.

Power lines and other shortcomings

[gtrubetskoy]

I find this RFC a bit limited because it does not seem to cover power lines. The protocol could easily include a provision to control devices that are merely plugged-in to the power outlet. A later version could extend this support to TCP capable nano-devices that could, for example, infiltrate common appliances (e.g. phones, fridges, tv's) and report back over powerlines on their status.

So I doubt this RFC would gain adoption without those things.

Re:Power lines and other shortcomings

[dkleinsc]

That would be the Omniscient Power Protocol (O.P.P.), which was developed a decade ago by Naughty by Nature.

Hah!

[Himring]

Just another April fools jo.... (connection reset by peer)

Re:Simply patheticc.

[hanssprudel]

Since when is this an April Fool's joke?

It's actually called Palladium, and Microsoft is rolling it out together with Longhorn. The necessary hardware modification, in the form of TCPA or the Phoenix DRM bios, are already around the corner.

Re:Mod on April Fools Day

[gowen]

Gullable: adj, susceptible to attacks by seabirds.

Gullible: adj, easily fooled.

(And they told me "gullible" wasn't in my dictionary)

Re:Read the RFC (date)

[curiosity]

No - they can use the Evil Bit. RFC 3514.

April 1st RFCs

[Arathrael]

There is a long tradition of April 1st RFCs - see Wikipedia's entry.

I thought this one was quite funny - note, by the way, that it doesn't propose that every computer be installed with an OP client, it just proposes the requirements for a protocol enabling that. The requirements are impossible. That's kind of the point, I thought. I suppose you'd have to RTFA to get that though... :-)

Full list of april fools jokes

[Urgo]

For a full updated list of sites pulling april fools jokes see here

Some highlites:
livejournal.com - on userinfo pages, "Friend"/"Friend Of" -> "Stalking"/"Stalked By"
www.gpf-comics.com - Comic mirrored.
smh.com.au - Yum-cha trolleys with "L" plates
www.clutchfans.com - Patrick Ewing returning to NBA
www.freeciv.org - Freeciv ANSI client
www.rav4world.com - Closed? Should have announced that TOMORROW!
www.retrocrush.com - Nude pics of Jaclyn Smith
westcoaster.net - Roller coaster site turned into teen girl site
www.meowpawjects.com - Sock people forced webmaster to take website down.
miceage.com - Disney merges with Walmart
www.badgerbadgerbadger.com - Badgers replaces with zombies
skepdic.com - Skeptic's Dictionary closing
fool.com - Buffett buys Krispy Cream
launch.com - Britney Spears & Jason Alexander To Renew Wedding Vows
MetaFilter.com - Turned in to a Wiki for the day
www.ddrkc.com - owner sold site to a user that is unpopular
brownpau.com - March for Web Standards
www.beyondunreal.com - ut2k4 production suspended
globetechnology.com - Microsoft Solitaire
www.modernwiccan.com - Randomized Color Scheme
bbs.fuckedcompany.com - Site shutting down
www.diary-x.com - looks like diaryland!
theprp.com - Music site to "Previously Ridden Ponies"
mpx200.org - Pocket PC with 2Gb system memory/Smart Drunk Pocket PC application
www.macosxhints.com - triple G5 Powermacs
www.slyfx.com - AOL buys slyfx
palminfocenter.com - Palms for toddlers.
www.carniola.org - fake news story
eikenes.alvestrand.no - Considering porn spam to be in a separate dialect to everything else
defunctgames.com - Pimps At Sea fox xbox

Re:Please...

[Junta]

And of course, when we note the evil bit being set, we just shoot the avian carrier out of the sky to drop the packet...

They don't need Palladium for that

[SanityInAnarchy]

Actually, all they need to do is send out a "security update" -- which they are allowed to install on your computer without notice from you -- wich accidently-on-purpose destroys it. They can't be held liable -- after all, didn't you read the license agreement which says there's no warrenty? It was a bug, which they are not liable for...

And btw, Palladium is all they need to force the issue, because Palladium prevents you from installing the kind of software that would counteract that -- because it might cause problems with copyright. This includes Linux, afaik -- you honestly can't expect me to ask Microsoft to sign every kernel build I make?

Unless these "features" can be turned off, for the record, I will use this machine until it rusts before I buy something which will not let me run Linux.