Sprucing up open source's GPL foundation

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Fear....: "Are you afraid of IBM 'taking over all things digital'?"

Yes! A large company tends to lack compassion or a soul. As such, while we tend to rail against Microsoft, it is just as likely that IBM, Sun, HP, AMD, etc. would do the same thing given the opportunity. The real key here is to eliminate the opportunity. I see Trusted Computing as a real threat. The boundry between what is mine as a computer owner, and what is theirs as a software licensor is being moved to my detriment.

As I said, this is sensible to a corperate body, but potential tyrany to an individual. In government, I have the right and opportunity to, at the end of their term, fail to elect a tyrant and elect someone in their place that is more benevolent. In the economy, the forces at work are even better as the term is ended next time I shop.

I have become much more interested in OSS as a result of policies exactly like the Trusted Computing Initiative. It seems to be that the base pricipal is that OSS want me to have as much power and freedom as possible while the Proprietary SW/HW companies want to co-opt as much of my power and freedom as possible.

I do not care who makes the best software, I care who allows me to do what I want. The best analogy I can think of is if Mercedes made the best car, and it were affordable, but fat, bald white guys are not allowed to drive it, then I cannot consider it an option. I must consider an alternative that allows me the opportunity to use a car in the way I need to, even if it is only a Yugo.

The big companies will contend that I might want that car as a get away vehicle in a bank robbery so I must be stopped. I contend, however, that I have the option to make my own mistakes, and driving in and of itself is legal. I would contend the the ansilary activities that are such a concern is the perview of the legal system, not the free market.

In the end, how I compute has become more than an economic issue. These kinds of policies have made it Philosophic and Political. As my personal philosophy is that i should have the maximum freedom possible until I prove myself incapable of handling it in a respocible manner, then my computing decissions will follow that kind of decission patern.

Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on your personal taste, this has lead me to explore OSS when I was a Wintel devotee not all that long ago.; Posted by: Mack DaNife Posted on: 12/28/04 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use