MESSAGE
| DATE | 2003-08-21 |
| FROM | Ruben Safir Secretary NYLXS
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| SUBJECT | Subject: [hangout] DRM is Theft
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Hello NYLUG - Long time no see :)
I really don't want to turn this into a flame war, not because I'm
fearful of a flame war, or in anyway would loose any of these arguments,
but because we've done this a few dozen times, and while many newbies
might benifit from such a vigorous discussion, I just have too many larger
fish frying right now on the plate which is actually taking aim at many
of the important issues before us, which I hope are going to have a real
and permanent dent on our collective lives.
So let me combine several of the questions and arguements here, and try to
give ONE comprehensive answer. Then if you want to flame away and win the
'fight', you can do it on your time.
First of all, on the question of IBM and Free Software.
There are two issues here, as I can see them.
First is the question of the what I feel we can expect from IBM and the
nature of the IBM personality or its corperate culture.
On the question of the nature of IBM, I don't disagree with Ron that IBM
is enormous and sometimes the left hand doesn't know what the right hand
is doing. However, I disagree that this is in any way an excuse to let IBM off
the hook for the proposed DRM hard drives, and other things they and OTHER
companies have done. Peter asked me what do I think IBM is doing now. In
regards to DRM and their efforts with Free Software, I state openly I have
no direct knoledge of IBM's activities. Furthermore, because IBM is so
large, I doubt that even people who are on this list who work for IBM can
really say with any real authority what IBM is capable of doing in a few
years. But the established fact is that IBM invested into this DRM scheme
up until about 18 months ago. IBM clearly has several divisions highly
interested in Free Software, and it's survival.
However, IBM has a fidiciary responsibility to represent it's stockholders,
AND it has a leagal Corperate Charter. It's been said that IBM has unloaded
it's hard drive division. As I said before, this, IMO, is not good enough.
I don't know what they did. As far as I can see, they simply outsouced the
original Hardware Division to Fujitsu, and I have to believe, that without
any evidence contrary being presented, that the DRM project just went along
with it.
IBM has not, to my knowledge, stood up in clear opposition to the inclussion
of hardware elements designed to spy on individual citizens to other government
officials or to other business agencies. Now, on this matter, I can speak
as a primary source because I sat in on the meetings and congressional
hearings which discussed DRM on 'Constumer Level Electronics' and have
made testimony on these matters, and IBM clearly hasn't made any public
statements in this regard at all. They haven't confronted Jack Valilenti
not one darn time. Nor have I seen any evidence that IBM punished in any
way the employees in IBM who proposed the inclussion of DRM in devices
purchased as cash and carry by the general public.
The second issue on IBM is my judgement of IBM's business support for Free
Software. On this matter, I'm encouraged strongly by many aspects of IBM's
involvements, and other parts of their stratergy concerns me deeply.
Before I get far into this second aspect of our relationship with IBM, let
me first say that I'm extremely impressed with the work IBM has done with
Free Software, and outside of SuSE, Ximinain and Red Hat, they have probibly
done more than anyone and I'm very impressed.
But I'm also not bind or stupid.
In regard to Free Software and their business model, I'm deeply concerned
with their emphasis on the server model without the necessary application
development on the desktop end. They are leaving themselves exposed, and the
economic impact in terms of employment and job creation is being impaired
by this specific emphasis.
First of all, they are exposing themselves because the have
***handed over the only part of the computer which actually interfaces
with the end use*** to a company which is extremely hostile to Free Software
and has even a greater potential and history of manevolence than IBM has been
since the days it was tamed by prosecution by the Federal Government.
You realize that with the current Microsoft EULUA, nearly 30% of all business
desktops in production can be imediately locked down with any significant
change to IP proticals, CIFS, DRM or cryptography. And in fact, that is
what Passport and dotnet is designed to do.
Add to this the power of the DMCA, things can turn around on IBM mighty
fast with it's GNU/Linux stratergy.
Secondly, the general lack of investment in the Free Software Desktop, not
just with IBM, but especially because of the IBM investment in GNU/Linux,
if just flatout crippling the availability of jobs using Free Software
technology. The MSFC generates many more job and buisiness oppurtunities
because of the large selection of business applications which absolutely
need Windows to function. Can an amry of developer with JUST GNOME and C
skills, plus proficiency in Postgres, Perl and Python gain a living wage
in the current economic client. HELL NO. Will it happen in the future,
HELL NO, not at least with the current emphaisis of the major players with
an interest in Free Software so focused on a server stratergy.
So, IMO, IBM is hanging itself, and the community needs a wake up call. Not
because IBM's activities are evil towards Free Software, but because it
is not, in of itself, good enough. It is not putting bread on enough peoples
table, and their Websphere stratergy, which might work for them for a limited
time (say perhaps 5 years), I can't see a senero where it is not destined
for an ultimate failure because an increasingly locked down Windows Desktop.
Add this to there silence on the DRM, and they are REALLY hanging themselves.
Ask yourself, where will YOU be in 20 years, or in 40 years. And where
will the industry be.
Finally, if Windows XP '05 requires DRM and encryption services from the
server, forgetting everything else had MS can do to burry other companies
servers, WHAT THEN. IBM will certainly add the needed DRM hooks into it's
hardware and software.
OK - These list servers have a word limit, so part two in a few moments
--
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