Linux in a binary world... a doomsday scenario [LWN.net]

Linux in a binary world... a doomsday scenario

Posted Dec 5, 2005 22:57 UTC (Mon) by dmaxwell (guest, #14010)
In reply to: Linux in a binary world... a doomsday scenario by jwb
Parent article: Linux in a binary world... a doomsday scenario

But I agree with you, we do not enjoy a natural or legal right to be provided with a certain kind of computer and software

True. However, I would like to use my computer and software as one way of exercising my rights. Things like Treacherous Computing are designed or can be designed to ensure that I do no such thing. As computing becomes more and more ubiquitous, this intersection of your rights and what your systems permit will conflict more and more. For instance, the EULA on some MS products say that you may not use the products to criticize MS. With Treacherous Computing, MS may have the means to send Non-Criticism Enforcement goons straight to your house. It seems far fetched now but once people accept the notion that it is OK for vendors to dictate what your systems can and cannot do then it won't.

We may not have a natural right to certain kinds of computers and software. But I am thinking more and more than computers and software designed to abridge the natural rights I do have are not to be tolerated. Oh dear, I'm starting to sound like RMS...

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Linux in a binary world... a doomsday scenario

Posted Dec 7, 2005 4:30 UTC (Wed) by zblaxell (subscriber, #26385) [Link]

"With Treacherous Computing, MS may have the means to send Non-Criticism Enforcement goons straight to your house"

As I read it, TC gives MS the means to retroactively find and obfuscate the decryption keys of all your criticism (or anything other files coming from your computer) from everyone's computer, possibly combined with aggressive mandatory deletion of local copies.

Sending goons to your house is so 20th-century. It's too late then anyway--the criticism in your house isn't what MS customers are reading--they're reading copies of your criticism on web sites and USENET. In the 21st century, MS will be able to send robogoons to everyone who might read your criticism.