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A Conversation with Cory Doctorow and Hal Stern

Posted by Zonk on from the less-magic-kingdom-more-cathedral-and-bazaar dept.

ChelleChelle writes "In a rare meeting, popular sci-fi writer and co-editor of the blog Boing Boing Cory Doctorow and Sun VP Hal Stern consider the open source approach. The resulting interview deals with the pros and cons of going open source, as well as the issues of security and privacy. From the article: 'It seems to me that one of the big problems with the filters you've just identified is who gets to set policy in the machine. As a science fiction writer, I am offended by sci-fi movies where it turns out that the rocket ship has a self-destruct button, it has been pressed by accident, and now the whole thing is going to explode. ... By the same token, I often wonder whether trusted computing architectures that allow remote parties to enforce policy on your hardware are a good idea. Although we can imagine beneficent examples of this, this is what spyware is, by definition, right? Spyware is remote parties setting policies on your computer against your wishes. Is it ever a good idea?'"

4 of 41 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Cory Doctorow by maxume · · Score: 2, Funny

    "Enthusonaut."

    --
    Nerd rage is the funniest rage.
  2. Re:Don't lend Trusted computing legitimacy by Optikschmoptik · · Score: 2, Funny

    At my house, everyone logs in to a Linux powered Domain, LDAP coated in SSL for Authorization, Kerberos for Authentication. Traffic (especially Wifi) encapsulated with IPSec. SE Linux policies in place. Directory service authorized Radius Server with MySQL server Accounting, and cataloged MAC Addresses in OpenLDAP. These are good security policies. Everyone should have some variation of this.

    Seriously, has your family tried to kill you, or maybe send you to a therapist?

    If they haven't, you should thank them for being so patient. Most people I know are far too annoyed to bother with password-protecting their windows account, let alone participate in such tinfoil-hat activities as encrypting their wireless signals.

  3. Somebody had to do it by Misanthrope · · Score: 2, Funny

    http://xkcd.com/c239.html

    On the bright side, Cory is using an analogy that might spark some brain cells in the semi-joe sixpack crowd.

  4. Re:Cory Doctorow by maxume · · Score: 2, Funny

    In case you missed it:

    http://xkcd.com/c239.html
    http://flickr.com/photos/laughingsquid/437389857/i n/photostream/

    (via http://www.waxy.org/links/ btw)

    So the answer to your question is probably that the joke isn't(particularly, anyway) funny.

    --
    Nerd rage is the funniest rage.