[kwlug-disc] Linuxaria: Open Source Has Taken over the Software Industry

[Russell McOrmond]

On Sun, Mar 13, 2016 at 1:03 PM, B.S. <bs27975 at yahoo.ca> wrote:

>
> Interesting. Thanks for the post.
>
> I expect then, that this is merely an extension of what they did with
> Outlook -> outlook.com. To the rest of the desktop apps / ecosystem.
>
> However, Russell ... I can't align two things in your post: (1) "I will be
> very happy when the concept of a desktop computer disappears"; (2) "can pry
> my camcorder, computer, home theatre, or portable media player from my cold
> dead hands!"
>
> Never mind that as soon as {whatever} is hosted, particularly on a U.S.
> server, the very concepts of privacy, security, and confidentiality, go
> straight out the window.
>

I expanded my thoughts into a blog posting on http://mcormond.blogspot.ca
if anyone interested...


The two won't seem aligned as I don't consider the physical location of the
device to be what determines questions of who owns/controls it.
Example:

  An iOS device is a vendor controlled platform as much as Google Apps for
Business is.  In the case of Google Apps people *perceive* the relationship
more clearly (IE: that their data/etc is in someone elses control) than in
the iOS scenario (which is equally in someone elses control).

  I can hire a cloud service where I manage the entire software stack and
can secure it in ways that is simply not done with all but an insignificant
few desktop computers.   While my computing is in the cloud, even within
the USA, I can still have the stack protect my security and privacy better
than all but an insignificant number of desktop users are.

  I believe that as more of the proprietary industry moves into the cloud
that there is a greater possibility that what remains in the hands of
citizens has an opportunity to be more owner controlled.  We need to move
to a world where the excuses that opponents to ownership have for attacking
our rights are tossed out.   This started with nonsensical ideas around
copyright infringement (the NII stuff leading to the DMCA, etc), and is now
being pushed by some parts of the surveillance establishment (FBI, etc).
The theme is the same: citizens can't be trusted with having control of
their own computers, and thus technology vendors must have that control.
It has always been nonsense, but some technology vendors (worst being
Apple) have pushed this agenda forward as it benefits them in
anti-competitive and other ways.



(At the least, we are all not doing a good enough job explaining why this
> matters / big brother WILL put such to use for unexpected, unforeseen, and
> unpalatable uses, and by then it will be too late. I do not understand why
> more people, and every average person, aren't more concerned about that.
> e.g. per news items, even one's in flight meal choices will be filed with
> the U.S. government when one books a flight.)
>


  I believe we are doing a poorer job than I suspect you think we are.  The
fact that people are fearful of "the cloud" and blindly trust the non-owner
locked device in their pocket -- and I include a lot of active members of
the technology sector in this -- suggests we have a huge problem to deal
with.

   The fact some people are only worried about the governments of a few
countries, rather than also worrying about the private sector and
non-governmental political and/or religious entities also suggests they
aren't looking as closely at the issue as they should.

-- 
Russell McOrmond, Internet Consultant: <http://www.flora.ca/>

Please help us tell the Canadian Parliament to protect our property rights
as owners of Information Technology. Sign the petition! http://l.c11.ca/ict/

"The government, lobbied by legacy copyright holders and hardware
manufacturers, can pry my camcorder, computer, home theatre, or portable
media player from my cold dead hands!" http://c11.ca/own
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