The file is in the "OpenOffice.org MS Word doc" format. Wordpad does it's best to open this OpenOffice.org format but it' can't be expected to keep up with the regular format changes.
Yeh, this is the problem. Boston is a nice place, and I'd love to go over and meet the FSF folks again. But I just don't like funding the regime.
It's like buying CDs. You get the music, and 50cent does go to the artist, but 10 dollars/euros is given the the RIAA.
This was partly explained in the book "Why do people hate America?". (Not a very good book.) To foreigners, America is represented by it's foreign policy, and as a democracy, it's foreign policy is understood to be the will of the people.
In Belgium I met a guy that also wouldn't go to America, his reason was that every dollar he spent would be paying for an American bullet in a foreign country.
It's not personal. I don't dislike Americans.
In a few years time, the EU could be as bad, and I'd understand then if people said they didn't want to come to the EU. But I wouldn't leave the EU, I'll stay and fix it, like I hope Americans will fix America.
I stopped visiting US last year.. It's just too much of a hassle with their "Patriot Act" and all the privacy invasions.
I went to Boston in march 2003. There were four check points between the plane and the outside of the airport. At the second checkpoint, the security guy ran out of forms for me to fill out so he let me pass without filling in a form.
When I got to the next checkpoint, I was taken aside by two cops and asked loads of questions because I didn't have the form from the previous checkpoint. Clearly I was a good candidate for terrorism. The questions were pointlessly invasive (my job, my annual wage!, my country of origin, any family in the US, etc.). I didn't mind giving the answers (I could have lied), but it was such a stupid process.
What conclusions could they possibly draw from my verbal answer to "What is your annual income?". I'm sure Bin Laden would really be caught out by that one:-)
I had planned to attend the FSF annual associate members meeting in Boston in March, but have scrapped that plan due to this legislation. I'll use the money to go to the Libre Software Meeting in France, and FOSDEM in Belgium instead. People shouldn't put up with this crap.
oh, ok. When he referred to freedom fighters as "ideological tub-thump[ers]", I thought he was implying that he wasn't one.
Or maybe people are only tub-thumpers when they are fighting for software freedom, but not when they fighting for free speech or the right to own guns.
> I don't see anything limiting me to installing my own OS
Terms of conditions: > "Every month, you will receive a cd containing adverts to be > shown over the following four weeks. Each disc must be > loaded onto your PC for the system to update. Should you > fail to do this, your PC will be disabled."
So, if you understand what you wrote, are you suggesting that they'll ship a GNU/Linux version of their ad software?
Also, the terms and conditions say that you must connect to the internet at least once per month. Obviously this is so that some piece of software can transmit data to verify that you've installed your ads etc. Will this software be available for GNU/Linux? hey, maybe it will even be Free Software. no.
There will be a deposit, or something that you lose if you tamper with it. Or if they implement (even a simple) electronic protection mechanism, it would be a violation of copyright to circumvent it. (due to the recent implementation of the EUCD.)
> why watch?
Why do some slashdotters think that the product development team will never think of an idea that they thought of after 20 seconds?
You'll have to constantly click through the ads or something. And it comes with a modem, so it will certainly be feeding back info to headquarters etc.
c'mon, do you really think they won't have thought of that?
What displays the ads? software. What else does the software do?, well, it probably sends signals over the Internet. So if the signals aren't sent, there's something wrong, and they take the PC back.
Also, how else would they enforce a 30-hour per month minimum?
> How is staying out of jail an argument against using Intel's compiler?
If you have a copy of icc, and a friend or family member asks for a copy, what do you do? You could say "No, I promised Intel that I wouldn't give a copy to you or anyone else". Or you could break the promise to Intel and help your friend. I think the latter is the lesser of two evils, but it's easier to simply avoid this dilema by not making that promise to Intel in the first place.
> As for "knowing what your compiler is doing"
This is a point I made in a post a little further down the page. My reason isn't really covered by your three options. I trust Intel to make a compiler, running the binary is probably not harmful on it's own, and I'm not really interested in reading the code. BUT:
My concern is over what the compiler might do to my code during compilation. Intel is part of the Trusted Computing Group. Will the compiler silently add a DRM signature? will a later version do so?
I'm not suggesting a tinfoil hat conspiracy, but if Trusted Computing became company policy, it could be added to the compiler as a mandatory feature. Maybe it's already in there. I don't like the idea of kernels, libc, gnupg, ssh, lsh, etc. being compiled by a black box.
well aware of GNU and their "philosophical" positions
I mentioned neither "GNU" or any "philosophical positions".
Staying out of jail, and knowing what a compiler is doing, are *practical* arguments against using Intels compiler.
expounding the GPL and the GFDL
I denounce the GFDL.
So you don't approve of its being protected by regular copyright law
GPL uses regular copyright law.
sit down and shut up
Challenge, rebut, argue, but don't tell a person not to speak. (and I *am* sitting down.)
An AC above pointed out that Intel are part of the Trusted Computing group. This all reminds me of Ken Thompsons compiler trojan. (where he hacked a c compiler to add a backdoor whenever it is compiling "login".)
So, what might icc add to the security functions of glibc? to gnupg, sshd, lsh?
In a way, the idea of using a proprietary compiler is very similar to that of proprietary voting software.
> ok, i've realised why you should always use the preview button
it's a slashdot bug (feature?). Spaces get stuck into long strings for some reason. (I could understand it if it only happened to verrrry long strings, but this always happens to URLs that are posted as plain text. So you just have to always post as html when you're posting URLs.
> I'd rather run a 95% Free Software operating > system, than a 95% closed operating system
All software should come with permission to study, share, modify, and redistribute. If 95% of the software you use comes with these freedoms, that's a great, but we mustn't lose sight of the final goal. We've come so far, we have soooo many pieces of software that people said we'd never have. If hardware companies would just give us specs, we could write our own drivers, and y'know I bet we'd write better drivers than they do!;-)
it lowers the entry barrier to companys wishing to contribute
I see it as encouraging companies *not* to contribute. Why give people Free code when you don't have to?
A binary file is not a contribution, it's just a marketing tactic exploiting our free platform. Since the Linux hackers have written an entire kernel, I don't think it's unreasonable for them to ask for module source code in return. Otherwise the module vendor is a parasite.
LWN.net do some great coverage of this issue in these articles: http://lwn.net/Articles/53780/ http://lwn.net/Articles/51561/
These two articles are in relation to Linksys, but they cover the general issue. There have been some other great GPL-related articles on LWN.net if anyone wants to search the site.
How about a sneak preview of how many patent licenses it will require to implement?
No, wait, that would be bad marketing. You have to get everyone excited about it first, then when everyones asking for it, the other vendors will want to use it, and *then* the patents come out.
Ah, screw all this microsoft monopoly crap. I prefer free market capitalism. Give me Free Software any day.
Slashdot Mirror
The file is in the "OpenOffice.org MS Word doc" format. Wordpad does it's best to open this OpenOffice.org format but it' can't be expected to keep up with the regular format changes.
> detailing the nature of the security-related fixes
DMCA violation.
Yeh, this is the problem. Boston is a nice place, and I'd love to go over and meet the FSF folks again. But I just don't like funding the regime.
It's like buying CDs. You get the music, and 50cent does go to the artist, but 10 dollars/euros is given the the RIAA.
This was partly explained in the book "Why do people hate America?". (Not a very good book.) To foreigners, America is represented by it's foreign policy, and as a democracy, it's foreign policy is understood to be the will of the people.
In Belgium I met a guy that also wouldn't go to America, his reason was that every dollar he spent would be paying for an American bullet in a foreign country.
It's not personal. I don't dislike Americans.
In a few years time, the EU could be as bad, and I'd understand then if people said they didn't want to come to the EU. But I wouldn't leave the EU, I'll stay and fix it, like I hope Americans will fix America.
Hmmm, a markup language based on pen strokes rather than text tags. Pretty obvious really. (After someone else tells you about it :-)
I stopped visiting US last year .. It's just too much of a hassle with their "Patriot Act" and all the privacy invasions.
:-)
I went to Boston in march 2003. There were four check points between the plane and the outside of the airport. At the second checkpoint, the security guy ran out of forms for me to fill out so he let me pass without filling in a form.
When I got to the next checkpoint, I was taken aside by two cops and asked loads of questions because I didn't have the form from the previous checkpoint. Clearly I was a good candidate for terrorism. The questions were pointlessly invasive (my job, my annual wage!, my country of origin, any family in the US, etc.). I didn't mind giving the answers (I could have lied), but it was such a stupid process.
What conclusions could they possibly draw from my verbal answer to "What is your annual income?". I'm sure Bin Laden would really be caught out by that one
I had planned to attend the FSF annual associate members meeting in Boston in March, but have scrapped that plan due to this legislation. I'll use the money to go to the Libre Software Meeting in France, and FOSDEM in Belgium instead. People shouldn't put up with this crap.
No. The ice and snow of Finland are too much, even for thickly bearded hackers.
A better conclusion would be that GNU/Linux will _never_lose_ market share due to evolution of technology.
(DRM, TCPA, etc. omitted)
> No, he's a vocal libertarian
;-p)
oh, ok.
When he referred to freedom fighters as "ideological tub-thump[ers]", I thought he was implying that he wasn't one.
Or maybe people are only tub-thumpers when they are fighting for software freedom, but not when they fighting for free speech or the right to own guns.
(now that's flamebait!
Disclaimer: I am certainly not an ESR fan, but this post is factual, not flamebait. If it was flamebait, I'd mention another TLA person :-)
> ESR, a vocal libertarian
No. He's a "vocal OpenSource advocate".
In his words, talk of freedom is "ideological tub-thumping", and OpenSource is simply a superior method for software development.
(I wish he was a libertarian, but this doesn't make it true.)
> I don't see anything limiting me to installing my own OS
Terms of conditions:
> "Every month, you will receive a cd containing adverts to be
> shown over the following four weeks. Each disc must be
> loaded onto your PC for the system to update. Should you
> fail to do this, your PC will be disabled."
So, if you understand what you wrote, are you suggesting that they'll ship a GNU/Linux version of their ad software?
Also, the terms and conditions say that you must connect to the internet at least once per month. Obviously this is so that some piece of software can transmit data to verify that you've installed your ads etc. Will this software be available for GNU/Linux? hey, maybe it will even be Free Software. no.
> How long till it gets hacked?
There will be a deposit, or something that you lose if you tamper with it. Or if they implement (even a simple) electronic protection mechanism, it would be a violation of copyright to circumvent it. (due to the recent implementation of the EUCD.)
> why watch?
Why do some slashdotters think that the product development team will never think of an idea that they thought of after 20 seconds?
You'll have to constantly click through the ads or something. And it comes with a modem, so it will certainly be feeding back info to headquarters etc.
c'mon, do you really think they won't have thought of that?
What displays the ads? software. What else does the software do?, well, it probably sends signals over the Internet. So if the signals aren't sent, there's something wrong, and they take the PC back.
Also, how else would they enforce a 30-hour per month minimum?
Now. What else do the ad software transmit...
> How is staying out of jail an argument against using Intel's compiler?
If you have a copy of icc, and a friend or family member asks for a copy, what do you do?
You could say "No, I promised Intel that I wouldn't give a copy to you or anyone else". Or you could break the promise to Intel and help your friend. I think the latter is the lesser of two evils, but it's easier to simply avoid this dilema by not making that promise to Intel in the first place.
> As for "knowing what your compiler is doing"
This is a point I made in a post a little further down the page. My reason isn't really covered by your three options. I trust Intel to make a compiler, running the binary is probably not harmful on it's own, and I'm not really interested in reading the code. BUT:
My concern is over what the compiler might do to my code during compilation. Intel is part of the Trusted Computing Group. Will the compiler silently add a DRM signature? will a later version do so?
I'm not suggesting a tinfoil hat conspiracy, but if Trusted Computing became company policy, it could be added to the compiler as a mandatory feature. Maybe it's already in there. I don't like the idea of kernels, libc, gnupg, ssh, lsh, etc. being compiled by a black box.
well aware of GNU and their "philosophical" positions
I mentioned neither "GNU" or any "philosophical positions".
Staying out of jail, and knowing what a compiler is doing, are *practical* arguments against using Intels compiler.
expounding the GPL and the GFDL
I denounce the GFDL.
So you don't approve of its being protected by regular copyright law
GPL uses regular copyright law.
sit down and shut up
Challenge, rebut, argue, but don't tell a person not to speak. (and I *am* sitting down.)
I'm not allowed to know what my copy is doing
An AC above pointed out that Intel are part of the Trusted Computing group. This all reminds me of Ken Thompsons compiler trojan. (where he hacked a c compiler to add a backdoor whenever it is compiling "login".)
So, what might icc add to the security functions of glibc? to gnupg, sshd, lsh?
In a way, the idea of using a proprietary compiler is very similar to that of proprietary voting software.
> Has anyone had experiences with it yet, either good or bad?
:-(
I went to the website and was told that I wasn't allowed to have a copy unless I paid them money and promised to prevent others from copying my copy.
They've also denied my request for a copy of the source code. Appearently, I'm not allowed to know what my copy is doing when it's compiling my code.
There were many other restrictions. Overall, a pretty bad experience
And as an added bonus, if you give a copy to a friend, you are a criminal! cool. or something.
> This is proof that moderation is broken
Quick, he's on to us. Get this off the front page
> > http://wingimp.hp.infoseek.co.jp/files/plug-ins/st egano.exe
> ok, i've realised why you should always use the preview button
it's a slashdot bug (feature?). Spaces get stuck into long strings for some reason. (I could understand it if it only happened to verrrry long strings, but this always happens to URLs that are posted as plain text. So you just have to always post as html when you're posting URLs.
> I'd rather run a 95% Free Software operating
;-)
> system, than a 95% closed operating system
All software should come with permission to study, share, modify, and redistribute. If 95% of the software you use comes with these freedoms, that's a great, but we mustn't lose sight of the final goal. We've come so far, we have soooo many pieces of software that people said we'd never have. If hardware companies would just give us specs, we could write our own drivers, and y'know I bet we'd write better drivers than they do!
it lowers the entry barrier to companys wishing to contribute
I see it as encouraging companies *not* to contribute. Why give people Free code when you don't have to?
A binary file is not a contribution, it's just a marketing tactic exploiting our free platform. Since the Linux hackers have written an entire kernel, I don't think it's unreasonable for them to ask for module source code in return. Otherwise the module vendor is a parasite.
LWN.net do some great coverage of this issue in these articles:
http://lwn.net/Articles/53780/
http://lwn.net/Articles/51561/
These two articles are in relation to Linksys, but they cover the general issue. There have been some other great GPL-related articles on LWN.net if anyone wants to search the site.
How about a sneak preview of how many patent licenses it will require to implement?
No, wait, that would be bad marketing. You have to get everyone excited about it first, then when everyones asking for it, the other vendors will want to use it, and *then* the patents come out.
Ah, screw all this microsoft monopoly crap. I prefer free market capitalism. Give me Free Software any day.
Ah, now I get it. Diebold didn't fake any election results, the machines were just exercising their right to vote. That's okay then.
So are the thoughts of Electronic Americans covered by the DMCA?