Richard Stallman Says You Should Worry About Chrome OS
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Re: Richard Stallman Says You Should Worry About Chrome OS
#2I profoundly disagree with many of Stallman's opinions. However I have tremendous respect for his timing and ability to capitalize on the buzz surrounding something new, and use it as an opportunity to re-state his position.
Re: Richard Stallman Says You Should Worry About Chrome OS
#3FSF founder claims that something that doesn't abide by FSF rules isn't good? No way!
Not that he doesn't have a point here, but I think people already realize that data in the cloud isn't fully secure. People are (individually!) choosing to trade security for convenience.
But then again, given how many personal computers end up in botnets, maybe it's actually -more- secure in Google's hands than their own.
Re: Richard Stallman Says You Should Worry About Chrome OS
#4He brings up some good points for those who agree with his stance. While they sometimes have a bit of wisdom to impart, I have a tendency to not listen to the jaded and disenfranchised old guard once they begin whining.
Re: Richard Stallman Says You Should Worry About Chrome OS
#5I won't use Chrome OS. Why should I let some unaccountable megacorporation own my data? The Google we know today is benign, but corporations change, and can be forced to change. Trusting Google with my data today would mean trusting all of the possible future Googles with my data, too, and that's not a bet I'm willing to take.
Re: Richard Stallman Says You Should Worry About Chrome OS
#6It's plain as day that people don't want to maintain their own computing environment. Do you think average Joe wants to worry about antivirus definitions? Patches? Drivers? Backups? Let alone building their own servers/services that handle their data.
Chrome OS may fail, but the principle of computing as a managed service will happen regardless of any objections. The only questions are what form it will take, and how soon it will arrive.
Here are my predictions: 1. Widespread adoption of a system very similar to ChromeOS 2. Huge vulnerability/breach of said system 3. Legislative overreaction creates laws intended to protect consumers, but unintentionally shuts the door on any smaller fish looking to get into the Cloud OS pond.
Re: Richard Stallman Says You Should Worry About Chrome OS
#7FSF founder claims that something that doesn't abide by FSF rules isn't good? No way! Not that he doesn't have a point here, but I think people already realize that data in the cloud isn't fully secure. People are (individually!) choosing to trade security for convenience. But then again, given how many personal computers end up in botnets, maybe it's actually -more- secure in Google's hands than their own.
But then again, given how many personal computers end up in botnets, maybe it's actually -more- secure in Google's hands than their own.
Fallacy.
The vulnerable, zombie boxes are in the hands of Microsoft. Users have been helpless in securing their own machines under MS' suzerainty, just as they would be under Google's.
The day you give users real control, whether they can handle it or not, is the day you will come to a full agreement with RMS.
Re: Richard Stallman Says You Should Worry About Chrome OS
#8He brings up some good points for those who agree with his stance. While they sometimes have a bit of wisdom to impart, I have a tendency to not listen to the jaded and disenfranchised old guard once they begin whining.
It was only yesterday when the cloud kicked wikileaks out. Then 200 private boxes sprung up, and came to its aid.
When people own their data, and their computing resources, they tend to do whatever they want with it.
Could you imagine waking up one morning to find your computing privileges revoked because you have an overdue parking ticket or some such?
Re: Richard Stallman Says You Should Worry About Chrome OS
#9The best case scenario for cloud computing would be some sort of device that you could run on your home network that would provide services like email, web hosting, and file sharing. It would have to be painless to setup. Maybe it could backup heavily encrypted copies of your stuff onto off-site servers just in case. You could VPN/SSH into your cloud wherever you had an internet connection.
Unfortunately, I think such a device would STILL be too much work for the average computer user when all it takes is a couple seconds to make a dropbox account.
Re: Richard Stallman Says You Should Worry About Chrome OS
#10I won't use Chrome OS. Why should I let some unaccountable megacorporation own my data? The Google we know today is benign, but corporations change, and can be forced to change. Trusting Google with my data today would mean trusting all of the possible future Googles with my data, too, and that's not a bet I'm willing to take.
You know, that you can use Chrome OS with your own webapps, not just with Google's, right?
It is just most people not only do not consider to be running their own appservers worth the trouble, but (if this thing catches up), they won't consider maintaining desktop/laptop computers, as we know them today, worth the effort either.