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Richard Stallman Was Right All Along

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Re: Richard Stallman Was Right All Along

#171

Post by adamtaylor »

morpher wrote: post #57

In Sec. 1021 (the one about indefinite detention power), it clearly states: (e) AUTHORITIES.—Nothing in this section shall be construed to affect existing law or authorities relating to the detention of United States citizens, lawful resident aliens of the United States, or any other persons who are captured or arrested in the United States. So, how does this give the president the supposed power to detain US citizen…

How much do these provisions of the NDAA really matter? They are still trumped by the Bill of Rights, which clearly forbids indefinite detention of citizens without trial. (The Sixth Amendment, in particular.) And the Bill of Rights can't be superceded except by a new amendment to the constitution. I still wish these provisions weren't there, because they seem insane to me, but I'm wondering if they're really of very much practical consequence.

Re: Richard Stallman Was Right All Along

#172

Post by ars »

glimcat wrote: post #167
ars wrote: post #157

Earlier quoted context omitted.

He's OK with that kind of firmware - as long as the code can not be updated the circuit is considered a black box. He doesn't ask for open source hardware either, so firmware directly tied to hardware is considered hardware.

Seems a wee bit arbitrary. And convenient.

He explain more here: http://www.fsf.org/news/freebios.html

Or better, here: http://blog.reddit.com/2010/07/rms-ama.html search for "microwave".

Re: Richard Stallman Was Right All Along

#173

Post by [deleted] »

pg wrote: post #170
jaekwon wrote: post #159

Earlier quoted context omitted.

From the "Right to Read" 1997-02... "Dan had learned that each book had a copyright monitor that reported when and where it was read, and by whom, to Central Licensing." -> Streaming content, DMCA tech "It was also possible to bypass the copyright monitors by installing a modified system kernel." -> Jailbreaking "But not only were they illegal, like debuggers—you could not install one if you had one, without knowing…

Predicting DRM phoning home in 1997 does not seem startlingly prescient. Nor locked down systems; those already existed. The only novel idea I see here is the point that copyright, which was originally a restriction on publishers, has now become a restriction on consumers. But that doesn't seem so dystopian. Everyone is a publisher now.

[deleted]

Re: Richard Stallman Was Right All Along

#174

Post by chipsy »

pg wrote: post #170
jaekwon wrote: post #159

Earlier quoted context omitted.

From the "Right to Read" 1997-02... "Dan had learned that each book had a copyright monitor that reported when and where it was read, and by whom, to Central Licensing." -> Streaming content, DMCA tech "It was also possible to bypass the copyright monitors by installing a modified system kernel." -> Jailbreaking "But not only were they illegal, like debuggers—you could not install one if you had one, without knowing…

Predicting DRM phoning home in 1997 does not seem startlingly prescient. Nor locked down systems; those already existed. The only novel idea I see here is the point that copyright, which was originally a restriction on publishers, has now become a restriction on consumers. But that doesn't seem so dystopian. Everyone is a publisher now.

Stallman's arguments are not strictly against market forces. He also attacks authoritarianism, which has a long history of using any justification to control information; so long as we have an authoritarian impulse in our politics, his dystopic vision holds weight.

Re: Richard Stallman Was Right All Along

#175

Post by jaekwon »

pg wrote: post #170
jaekwon wrote: post #159

Earlier quoted context omitted.

From the "Right to Read" 1997-02... "Dan had learned that each book had a copyright monitor that reported when and where it was read, and by whom, to Central Licensing." -> Streaming content, DMCA tech "It was also possible to bypass the copyright monitors by installing a modified system kernel." -> Jailbreaking "But not only were they illegal, like debuggers—you could not install one if you had one, without knowing…

Predicting DRM phoning home in 1997 does not seem startlingly prescient. Nor locked down systems; those already existed. The only novel idea I see here is the point that copyright, which was originally a restriction on publishers, has now become a restriction on consumers. But that doesn't seem so dystopian. Everyone is a publisher now.

All consumers are publishers now, so there appears to be room for a phase transition. We collectively have a choice, like two Nash equilibria. IP vs Free.

I imagine we would save a lot of man-hours from defining and fighting man-made statutory IP laws that may not be beneficial after all. See the inefficiencies of the patent system, and the brilliant minds wasted(?) on circumventing man-made restrictions. Not to mention the potential for abuse by regimes, as chipsy mentions.

I believe the Free equilibrium point has a lower potential energy. Therefore I advocate it. Where the modern entrepreneur programmer fits, I'm trying to figure out.

Re: Richard Stallman Was Right All Along

#176

Post by jaekwon »

chipsy wrote: post #174
pg wrote: post #170

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Predicting DRM phoning home in 1997 does not seem startlingly prescient. Nor locked down systems; those already existed. The only novel idea I see here is the point that copyright, which was originally a restriction on publishers, has now become a restriction on consumers. But that doesn't seem so dystopian. Everyone is a publisher now.

Stallman's arguments are not strictly against market forces. He also attacks authoritarianism, which has a long history of using any justification to control information; so long as we have an authoritarian impulse in our politics, his dystopic vision holds weight.

Yes. Laurence Lessig (in his book 'Code') argues that market forces is what paves the way for locked systems, which naturally leads to abuse.

Re: Richard Stallman Was Right All Along

#177

Post by e2e8 »

samstave wrote: post #87

I think we are giving the government and Obama far too much credit for being stupid/naive/uncunning. Of course the NDAA funding auth is going to be passed. It must be - thus, they throw on insidious clauses like the detainment, and Obama is the lucky guy who just happens to be in the unfortunate position where he must sign it even though he opposed certain items. Here is an idea: require all laws to be single subject…

You make sound like the administration did not want the powers granted by the bill. This is incorrect. The administration initially opposed the language because they believed it restricted powers they already had to detain indefinatly.

"the authorities granted by the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Terrorists, including the detention authority, are essential to our ability to protect the American people... Because the authorities codified in this section already exist, the Administration does not believe codification is necessary and poses some risk."

Re: Richard Stallman Was Right All Along

#178

Post by siglesias »

jaekwon wrote: post #176
chipsy wrote: post #174

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Stallman's arguments are not strictly against market forces. He also attacks authoritarianism, which has a long history of using any justification to control information; so long as we have an authoritarian impulse in our politics, his dystopic vision holds weight.

Yes. Laurence Lessig (in his book 'Code') argues that market forces is what paves the way for locked systems, which naturally leads to abuse.

Didn't market forces lead the iTunes music DRM to be eliminated?

Re: Richard Stallman Was Right All Along

#179

Post by EdiX »

jonhendry wrote: post #121
spodek wrote: post #119

Earlier quoted context omitted.

He co-authored a license that anyone can use to share software, prose, and other copyrightable material. That license, and others derived from it, are at the root of most non-proprietary software and many types of user-created content. Using the internet means you've used software that likely could not have been created without such licenses. Wikipedia is another example of something using a license derived from the…

Yes, but what has he done that has been directed towards US laws, regulations, and policies, to protect the right to read?

The Free Software Foundation, among other things, sponsors some "political" campaigns against DRM and software patents.

Re: Richard Stallman Was Right All Along

#180

Post by muhfuhkuh »

sigzero wrote: post #51
muhfuhkuh wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The guy who also oversaw an economy that returned 401Ks to at least sane levels from -40% in 2007-8; the guy who actually said and then did get bin Laden; the guy who pushed for and signed a law that is as close to healthcare reform as anyone has gotten since Medicare was enacted almost 50 years ago; the guy who pulled us out of Iraq when the Republican candidate in 2008 said we should be there for 100 more years; th…

I am so glad that we voted for a President because now we can vote his ass out.

And, vote in what exactly? Another person who'll usher in 2007-8 Economics Redux? Another war drum beater, this time in Iran and N. Korea? Another tax-breaking, deficit-piling theocratic nincompoop?

Or maybe Ron Paul?

Just remember, just a couple months ago, the only viable alternative to run against Obama was a Pizza guy who continuously ran infidelity trains on whatever thing slunk in wearing a skirt. You think "pizza pizza" was going to make everything all better?

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