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CloudLeft Public License Closes User Data Loophole
FreedomFighter writes "In a Cloud Standards breakthrough, the FSF is teaming up with major cloud computing vendors to form the Free and Open Cloud Alliance (FOCA), a trade marketing association supporting Free(TM) and Open Cloud Computing (FOCC). The new CloudLeft Public License (CPL) is based on the ideas that data wants to be Free(TM) and all your Cloud(TM) are belong to us. It closes the 'user data loophole' by requiring the release of not only the source code for a CloudLeft platform but also the data passing through it. This renders most security issues void while appropriately setting the users' expectation of privacy. 'In the past, I've said that "cloud" is complete gibberish, but while discussing fashion during my weekly squash game with Stallman he convinced me that this was a great opportunity.' said Larry Ellison, CEO of Oracle. RMS, who previously said that 'cloud' is worse than stupidity was also pleased about the return of the advertising clause, requiring the use of the 'GNU/Cloud' name, as he is 'tired of haranguing the GNU/Linux community about this.' Full details will be available next Monday, including the first marketing and outreach program — 'FOCC: IT in 2009.'"
The time has come for a serious discussion on whether or
not to continue using C for serious programming projects. As I will
explain, I feel that C needs to be retired, much the same way that
Fortran, Cobol and Perl have been. Furthermore, allow me to be so bold
as to suggest a superior replacement to this outdated language.
To give you a little background on this subject, I was recently asked
to develop a client/server project on a Unix platform for a Fortune
500 company. While I've never coded in C before I have coded in VB for
fifteen years, and in Java for over ten, I was stunned to see how
poorly C fared compared to these two, more low-level languages.
C's biggest difficulty, as we all know, is the fact that it is by far
one of the slowest languages in existance, especially when compared to
more modern languages such as Java and C#. Although the reasons for
this are varied, the main reasons seems to be the way C requires a
programmer to laboriously work with chunks of memory.
Requiring a programmer to manipulate blocks of memory is a tedious way
to program. This was satisfactory back in the early days of coding,
but then again, so were punchcards. By using what are called
"pointers" a C programmer is basically requiring the computer to do
three sets of work rather than one. The first time requires the
computer to duplicate whatever is stored in the memory space "pointed
to" by the pointer. The second time requires it to perform the needed
operation on this space. Finally the computer must delete the
duplicate set and set the values of the original accordingly.
Clearly this is a horrendous use of resources and the chief reason why
C is so slow. When one looks at a more modern (and a more serious)
programming language like Java, C# or - even better - Visual Basic
that lacks such archaic coding styles, one will also note a serious
speed increase over C.
So what does this mean for the programming community? I think clearly
that C needs to be abandonded. There are two candidates that would be
a suitable replacement for it. Those are Java and Visual Basic.
Having programmed in both for many years, I believe that VB has the
edge. Not only is it slightly faster than Java its also much easier to
code in. I found C to be confusing, frightening and intimidating with
its non-GUI-based coding style. Furthermore, I like to see the source
code of the projects I work with. Java's source seems to be under the
monopolistic thumb of Sun much the way that GCC is obscured from us by
the marketing people at the FSF. Microsoft's "shared source" under
which Visual Basic is released definately seems to be the most fair
and reasonable of all the licenses in existance, with none of the
harsh restrictions of the BSD license. It also lacks the GPLs
requirement that anything coded with its tools becomes property of the
FSF.
I hope to see a switch from C to VB very soon. I've already spoken
with various luminaries in the C coding world and most are eager to
begin to transition. Having just gotten off the phone with Mr. Alan
Cox, I can say that he is quite thrilled with the speed increases that
will occur when the Linux kernel is completely rewritten in Visual
Basic. Richard Stallman plans to support this, and hopes that the
great Swede himself, Linux Torvaldis, won't object to renaming Linux
to VB/Linux. Although not a C coder himself, I'm told that Slashdot's
very own Admiral Taco will support this on his web site. Finally,
Dennis Ritchie is excited about the switch!
Thank you for your time. Happy coding.
... now we really know that /. overdid the April Fools jokes.
I actually stared at the new updates for 30 seconds before I noticed it was a virgin thread.
Really I'm just looking to boost my achievements.
It's stories like this that make me miss the pink ponies.
Never was there an April fool's day so garrishly awesome. I wish there were a way to bring it back.
These days all we get are a collection of April Fool's day stories from around the web, which is still kind of fun. Incidentally, check out youtube.com. Awesome.
Qxe4
Derp derp, another unfunny April Fools Day "joke".
what about the "Media Usable Through Heuristic Art-intell" branch of the "Free and Open Cloud Alliance"?
those MUTHA FOCAs have a real PR nightmare ahead of them.
I have a sinking suspicion that this is not real. I mean today is April 1. I've heard of this thing called April Fools Day where people play pranks on one another. Perhaps this is one of those instances? All of today's articles on /. seemed pretty convincing to me, but this one is just a little too unbelievable. I think I'm on to them! Nice try, guys. No pulling the wool over these eyes. Now where'd I put my glasses?
This April Fools has been like Nacho Libre - I can't even tell what's supposed to be funny and what's not.
Whale
Stallman didn't like the cloud because it changes the way people use computers and will require a new version of the GPL.
Dammit people! We finally have a stable version of GNU/Hurd but it could have been out years ago if you didn't insist on forcing web technologies on the world requiring RMS to spend more time with lawyers than emacs.
Ellison was able to turn him around durring a joy ride in one of his fighter jets. Apparently RMS doesn't like barrel rolls.
Dual Opteron < $600
The cast and crew of Battlestar Gallactica were unavailable for comments, they were Finally Realizing Another Crock was on slashdot.
Agent K: A *person* is smart. People are dumb, stupid, panicky animals, and you know it.
That's Seal in Spanish...
Slashdot ya no es que lo era!
I'm just doing the achievements for access to the new posting classes. Like Flamer, Troll and Sniper.
So many people have unlocked them already!
Like Flamer, Troll and Sniper.
You should restate this fragment as a complete sentence.
Sorry, I just unlocked the Grammar Nazi class.
Show me on the doll where his noodly appendage touched you.
"The new CloudLeft Public License (CPL) is based on the ideas that data wants to be Free(TM) and all your Cloud(TM) are belong to us."
Sorry, this is where I stop reading this one. Author has exceeded his lameness allowance.
Bow-ties are cool.
I have had a client nix a deal done on an open source platform because they erroneously believed that the code being open source required their data to also be open source. I've seen actual legal briefs from practicing lawyers who somehow really thought that. Don't even joke about it.
is competition good, or is duplication of effort bad?