Re: [Plplot-devel] New threat to our computer freedom

[Maurice L. <mj...@ga...>]

Alan W. Irwin writes:
 > Most all of us on this list buy PC's from time to time so I think this
 > post is appropriate for this list even though it is not related directly
 > to PLplot.
 > 
 > Microsoft and computer manufacturers have gotten together to try once again
 > to limit computer freedom.  The only way to fight it is for people to be
 > educated about the threat so they can assert mass economic pressure (via
 > buying decisions) against the companies involved.
 > 
 > How to get educated?  Well, the 3 links below are a good start.
 > 
 > http://www.pbs.org/cringely/pulpit/pulpit20020627.html
 > http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/users/rja14/tcpa-faq.html
 > http://www.theregus.com/content/4/25378.html

Thanks, Alan, these look interesting.  Only read the first so far, and
although I agree on the negative statements re: M$, I'd have to disagree with
Cringely's assessment that "The End is Near".  I think a more accurate &
productive assessment would be "The Enemy is Engaged".  M$ is finally waking
up to how serious a threat the open source movement is (esp. Linux) and is
moving to counter it.  But M$'s recent moves AFAIAC have all been kind of
stupid in this regard, and this is just another one.  A company that is truly
successful over the long term needs to offer a choice (maybe a compelling
one), but not cause large numbers of people to truly loathe them.  But they
keep doing it, over and over again etc.  Given the strength of the open source
movement, and how difficult it is to combat (especially outside the US), I
think M$ has reached it's zenith.. all downhill from here, Billgatus of Borg.

BTW my household is 100% Linux.  My wife, daughters, and many guests to the
house use it.  Everyone seems very happy with it.  In fact often people don't
know they're running Linux, they just think it's some unfamiliar strain of
windows. :) As for the Windows experts I meet, they are usually interested in
Linux to some degree.

Oh yeah, I'm back. :)

-- 
Maurice LeBrun    mj...@ga...
Research Organization for Information Science and Technology of Japan (RIST)