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Free Software's True Believer (Red Herring)
Red Herring interviews
Richard Stallman. "The biggest problem in the world of free
software is the tendency to introduce non-free programs in the GNU
operating system, which defeats the purpose. The whole point was so that we
can use the computers and have freedom. If you install the non-free
program, then you give up the freedom."
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Free Software's True Believer (Red Herring) Posted Sep 27, 2006 23:31 UTC (Wed) by bojan (subscriber, #14302) [Link] > Owning a cell phone is giving into being monitored by mobile phone companies, he argues.
Wow! I bought one to keep in touch with my family. I can see now that I'm part of the conspiracy ;-)
Free Software's True Believer (Red Herring) Posted Sep 28, 2006 0:08 UTC (Thu) by AJWM (subscriber, #15888) [Link] Yeah, I'm having trouble trying to figure out just how a cell phone would work *without* some kind of monitoring by the phone company. (Gotta figure out who's in what cell to make the phones work, after all.)
There are other mobile technologies but even Iridium boils down to having *really tall* virtual cell towers (ie, in orbit).
If I'm truly paranoid about what my cell phone might be telling people about me, I can take the battery out and wrap the phone in tinfoil until I need to use it.
Free Software's True Believer (Red Herring) Posted Sep 28, 2006 0:18 UTC (Thu) by drag (subscriber, #31333) [Link] Heh. That sounds like a nice product.
A electronics/laptop bag for the truly paranoid geek. There would be a wire mesh sown into the lining to block all radio signals going in and out of this bag. Nice place for passports, wifi devices, blue tooth devices, 20 dollar bills, random IDs, etc etc.
With the upscale version you can get a magnetic seal with hardshell for highest security.
Free Software's True Believer (Red Herring) Posted Sep 28, 2006 0:18 UTC (Thu) by bojan (subscriber, #14302) [Link] > If I'm truly paranoid about what my cell phone might be telling people about me, I can take the battery out and wrap the phone in tinfoil until I need to use it.
I was actually just having fun with RMS's paranoia. I think people in the mobile phone companies have better things to do (like: make money :-) then trying to figure out where I may be.
Free Software's True Believer (Red Herring) Posted Sep 28, 2006 1:42 UTC (Thu) by drag (subscriber, #31333) [Link] Except of course when you realise they may figure out a way to make money by knowing were your at.
You'd be suprised. I work for a company that sells people's information for mass marketting type stuff. Mailing lists (not email spam.. legitament post office spam) phone stuff. etc etc.
Want to find 300 guys from western side of Minnosota who are male, ages between 24 and 30, who make between 25 and 35 thousand dollars a year, who like to hunt deer? We can find them for you. Give you there ages, names, who they go through for their mortages, and we can garrentee accuracy of addresses and information up to 3 months if you want to pay for it (work with the post office for that one), etc etc. Stuff like that.
States sell your information when you get a driver's licenses. Your mortage company sells information about you. You mobile phone company will sell infomration about you. Your bank probably does. The state will sell information about you when you get a deer hunting license.
Everything is for sale. If somebody wants to pay your mobile phone company to know were customers are at at a given time.. they'll do it. Is there a law against it? If not it's for sale.
Got two quotes that I like to remember for times like this. Probably got them from movies, don't remember:
Of course then there is:
"Paranoia will destroy ya"
Which is something to keep in mind. :)
Free Software's True Believer (Red Herring) Posted Sep 28, 2006 2:58 UTC (Thu) by bojan (subscriber, #14302) [Link] > Is there a law against it? If not it's for sale.
I'm pretty sure that where I live there are laws against this. And, I'm also pretty sure they are for sale, just like you said. :-)
In any event, I'm not big on conpiracy theories of some kind of big brother monitoring us and all that. Not having a mobile phone because it's "giving into being monitored" is a bit much, IMHO.
Maybe we should all be nomads or something, so that nobody can tell where we live or work... ;-)
Free Software's True Believer (Red Herring) Posted Sep 28, 2006 9:39 UTC (Thu) by drag (subscriber, #31333) [Link] Nomadic life doesn't sound that bad.
My only worry is that I tend to forget were I put my stuff so having to go back to some place I snuck away from to get my socks may not work out so well. Also retreiving paychecks may be a problem. :-p
Personally I don't have a cell phone. The idea of anybody at any time being able to reach me over the phone is a bit.. annoying sounding. But the way things are going it seems it may just be cheaper and more effective to get a mobile phone rather then continuing to purchase a land line.
It's not like I need that 56k anymore (or realisticly a 36k).
But I still think I'd like to have Asterix or something like that setup. Being able to put telemarketers on hold sounds very gratifying. Especially because then I get to choose the music.
Free Software's True Believer (Red Herring) Posted Sep 28, 2006 14:17 UTC (Thu) by sepreece (subscriber, #19270) [Link] Putting people on hold is less appealing when you're paying for it...
I've never quite understood the "I don't want to have a cell phone, because then anyone can call me anytime" point of view. You can always turn the phone off, if you really want to be alone. Or you can set it to Silent and ignore calls (but get a handy list of who called). Or set it to forward calls to voicemail or to another number where you ahve an answering machine.
Turning it off generally also defeats attempts to determine where you are, though there could be exceptions (for instance, phone designed to let parents track their children). The most the phone company could then report is where you were the last time your phone was on.
Free Software's True Believer (Red Herring) Posted Sep 28, 2006 18:36 UTC (Thu) by drag (subscriber, #31333) [Link] Sure, but why pay for it if I am just going to leave it off all the time?;)
Free Software's True Believer (Red Herring) Posted Oct 2, 2006 1:10 UTC (Mon) by sepreece (subscriber, #19270) [Link] Because it's important to you when you DO want to use it?
It's a question you would have to answer. I leave mine on all the time...
Free Software's True Believer (Red Herring) Posted Sep 28, 2006 15:05 UTC (Thu) by jhardin (guest, #3297) [Link] > Personally I don't have a cell phone. The idea of anybody at any time being able to reach me over the phone is a bit.. annoying sounding.
I agree. That's why I turn mine off unless I want to make a call, or unless I'm in a situation where I want my wife to be able to reach me. I bought the leash for *my* convenience, not anyone else's.
Free Software's True Believer (Red Herring) Posted Sep 28, 2006 21:44 UTC (Thu) by jstAusr (guest, #27224) [Link] The problem is, it is money to them. But another problem is that they categorize you, which maybe wouldn't be terrible if they always did it right, but they make mistakes and assumptions, which lead to you being viewed as someone that you are not. You have no control over it and you can't change it. The mistakes and bad assumptions may affect what jobs you can get and how you are viewed by your employer. Now, (as above) it wouldn't be terrible if all the information and assuption were correct, but you don't know what is there. There is a saying that information is money, believe it.
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