Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Technology Leveling The Playing Field In Modern War

Posted by Zonk on from the to-the-detriment-of-the-armed-forces dept.

The IEEE spectrum site has up an article written by the author Robert N. Charette describing the 'empowerment of the individual to conduct war' through technology. In the piece, entitled Open-Source Warfare, Charette describes the cheap, inexpensive, but clever ways that militants are adapting to modern warfare. "As events are making painfully clear, [counterterrorism expert John Robb] says, warfare is being transformed from a closed, state-sponsored affair to one where the means and the know-how to do battle are readily found on the Internet and at your local RadioShack. This open global access to increasingly powerful technological tools, he says, is in effect allowing 'small groups to...declare war on nations.' Need a missile-guidance system? Buy yourself a Sony PlayStation 2. Need more capability? Just upgrade to a PS3."

8 of 304 comments (clear)

  1. Microsofts marketing by 4play · · Score: 4, Funny

    I can see Microsoft's new marketing campaign now. "PS3's are for terrorists"

  2. Oh, I'm sorry... by cp.tar · · Score: 4, Funny

    the cheap, inexpensive, but clever ways that militants are adapting to modern warfare.

    I'd thought guerrilla wasn't exactly a new concept...

    /* BTW inexpensive == cheap */

    --
    Ignore this signature. By order.
  3. Re:You what? by cp.tar · · Score: 2, Funny

    Seriously, WTF? How does a Playstation have any benefits over other smaller, cheaper, lighter computer hardware for guiding missiles? How does cheap computer hardware have any benefits at all when you don't have the software to run on it? How would hardware and software have any benefits at all when you don't have any guided missiles in the first place, and if some rogue state (or the CIA, depending on whose side you're on) wanted to supply you with them, they could just supply you with guidance systems at the same time?!

    You think too much.

    Open Source Warfare is the way hackers can build their own, Linux-powered missile guidance systems, and with Compiz Fusion, you get not only spiffy 3D graphics, but also a Compiz Fusion Warhead.

    And since OpenMoko promotes open hardware, open warheads are just a step away.

    However, there is no chemical weaponry to be assembled in the Open Source world[1] - with all those crippled chemistry sets, we'll just have to settle for biological weaponry.

    [1]oops: I'd initially spelled it Opwn Source... Freudian slip?

    --
    Ignore this signature. By order.
  4. Re:Pitchforks anyone? by cp.tar · · Score: 4, Funny

    exactly. It's like my friend (a vet) says, he walks in to a diner and sees weapons everywhere,

    Wow.

    I didn't know veterinarians were so militant.

    Though I can see the rationale... if you're going to spay (or bathe) a cat, you'd better be learned in the arts of war.

    --
    Ignore this signature. By order.
  5. Re:You what? by maxwell+demon · · Score: 2, Funny

    [1]oops: I'd initially spelled it Opwn Source... Freudian slip?

    You mean because your finger went too much to the left?
    Communist! :-)
    --
    The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
  6. Re:That's is? by antifoidulus · · Score: 3, Funny

    Hate to break it to you, but you do know that computers were around before 2002, right?

    --
    Monstar L
  7. Re:Those open source terrorists! by 3waygeek · · Score: 5, Funny

    Given their extremist political views, I'd think they'd use Subversion instead of CVS.

  8. Re:You what? by gatkinso · · Score: 2, Funny

    Perhaps a missile would be nice too.

    --
    I am very small, utmostly microscopic.