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Give an Internet Freedom Disk
An anonymous reader, perhaps the blogger himself, writes to tell us about a new blog aimed at getting non-techies excited over the idea of running from a Live CD. The blogger doesn't call it that, preferring instead "Internet Freedom Disk"; Linux is never mentioned. The submitter adds: "This is just a great gift to drop on your non-geek friends and potentially wake up a sleeping giant." Cheap, last-minute, and you can make them yourself. The blogger isn't selling anything; he provides links to Ubuntu and Knoppix Live CDs. Or pick your favorite.
Normal people dont get excited about operating systems. PC's are either tools or toys to them. Getting another operating systems is about as exciting as changing the wash cycle in their dishwasher for most people.
Do not try to read the dupe, thats impossible. Instead, only try to realize the truth
What truth?
There is no dupe
Retake your Internet! Once again browse any page! Click any item! Surf with impunity!
1 - I've failed to "take my internet" so far, how will I retake it?
2 - I can already browse any page
3 - I can already click any item
4 - Does this mean I can download kiddie porn without fearing the police?
Seriously though, as soon as I read that first line, I stopped perusing this blog. It sounds very silly and useless...
"A door is what a dog is perpetually on the wrong side of" - Ogden Nash
A blogger linked to Ubuntu? Great story guys. Very worthy of the front page.
It looks like the purpose of this CD is to protect users from Trojans, spyware, and other malware. The author of this page encourages users to click on anything they want on the web and not worry about the source of the executables that they are running. Encouraging users to continue to be ignorant and reckless sounds like a horrible idea. Sure, right now there doesn't happen to be much malware for Linux, but if more dumb people start running Linux, it will be produced. Even though Linux is more resistant than Windoze to being broken into by traditional exploits, if the user deliberately runs some malicious program, the system cannot protect itself. No system that allows the user to administer their own machine can protect from these kinds of attacks. We need to educate users AND give them Linux. Doing either one without the other will leave the our public Internet in worse shape and our fellow users just as bewildered and dangerous.
------ Take away the right to say fuck and you take away the right to say fuck the government.
Exactly what freedoms are available to you when you run a linux live system off a cdrom that are unavailable to you on your fully functional windows system?
Sorry, but this reminds of of Scientologists offering "A Free Personality Test".
Omitting to mention, oh by the way, we're a Weird Religious Cult.
If the jump from using firefox in windows to using firefox in linux is so troublesome, I think you've got problems that won't be fixed by any CD...
It's been a long time.
I think this is the most pathetic thing I've ever seen on Slashdot.
Why would anyone want to routinely run from a LiveCD. Ubuntu from a LiveCD runs like shit, and what about downloading stuff? The moron suggests you just put it flash drive. Yeah, and then I'm going to take out the LiveCD and run the file I just downloaded on my normal OS. So I'm still going to need virus protection, and I'm still going to need to be sane about where I get files from on the internet, but I'll just add ages of fucking around with a LiveCD. And how about bookmarks? You going to explain to people how that's going to work? Or how about in the time it takes to download a LiveCD, tweak it to your liking, and burn it, you just install a free anti-virus program, a free firewall and firefox?
A LiveCD will be about as useful as a coaster as it will be as an 'IFD'. If some moron gave me one of these things I would have absolutely no choice but to beat some sense into them.
What a great idea. Give your parents a CD to shove in their working computer.
I can feel the love already coming from my Mum: Why does it take an age to start? Why does it say it can't install my wifi driver? Now I've managed to install a Linux Wifi driver, what's my Hex key? Where's IE? Where've all my bookmarks gone? What exactly have I gained by this gift?
Offering someone a Bible isn't forcing anything down their throat, and neither is giving them a LiveCD. Do you seriously feel oppressed when a Jehovah's Witness/Mormon/PETA member tries to hand you a pamphlet?
I'll bite.
Odds are, if I slapped together a Windows-based "Live CD" (BartPE, most likely), it wouldn't have the drivers for your scanner or your printer, either. There's a lot of printers out there... and quite a few of them have sizeable drivers (*cough* HP *cough*).
Besides, I thought the point of the "Internet Freedom Disk" was so that you could browse the web while being relatively carefree? Exactly where does a scanner fit into that usage? I can understand the need for a scanner, but mostly concerning editing/duplicating photographs or saving important paperwork, etc. Needing a scanner to browse the web? That's stretching it a bit.
Point #4 is a little inflammatory, but I'll address it anyway with a few counter arguments. First, odds are that your "commonly used applications" have a license that precludes them from being distributed on a LiveCD. It might be fine for you to slap it onto a LiveCD for your own personal use (realistically, who's gonna find out if it's not?), but if you post the ISO up on the web, somebody's probably going to start hollering. Especially if your "commonly used application" involves certain Microsoft products. For that matter, it's safe to say that you can't build your Windows LiveCD, then toss the ISO up on the web, due to those same licensing concerns. Second, once again this is a "Internet Freedom Disk." Nobody said anything about a "Productivity Freedom Disk" or a "Media Creation/Editing Freedom Disk."
The only argument I can see in your favor is that not all web content is able to be viewed from this LiveCD, most notably certain streaming video (pretty much any site that requires Windows Media Player). I have to assume this, since I can't view this content on my own Linux desktop (CNN anyone?)
I learned recently (it took me a while to really learn this lesson) to stop recommending computer systems to friends and family.
I used to go as far as helping them pick out peripherals, specs, and even order it with them on the web. Now I say "Go to dell.com and get at least a gig of RAM." The conversation stops there.
Why? Because the more I help influence their decision, the more they expect me to support that decision afterward. They're not being mean, they're just naturally extending the help I initally offered them.
Why would I want to give a non-geek a Linux disk? They're going to come back to me with all sorts of questions about software compatibility, drivers, printing, etc. No one else they know will support them, even paid companies like their OEM or their ISP. And if they're running a business off this computer, then now I'm liable for what may happen to it.
When will the geek world realize that Linux is not the answer to everything?
-David