General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsRichard Stallman (UNIX legend) talks about back doors and metadata
(For those who aren't nerds, Stallman is the guy who invented what eventually became Linux and Open Source software in general*, as well as some of the most important programming tools out there.)
* Techies: before you flame, try to find a better single-sentence description of GNU.
http://techrights.org/2013/06/27/techbytes-episode-79/
But that doesnt mean that when youre using some companys service, if a company has full control over the computers that implement that service, which it should, that doesnt mean the company will treat you right. Thats a separate issue. Its wrong for [another] company to have control over these computers and if AT&T uses proprietary software, it [that other company] fully has control over AT&Ts computers and thats wrong. However, making sure AT&T has complete control over its computers doesnt guarantee that AT&T will treat us right.
RSS: I was thinking about a different scenario where the company that you interact with might itself backdoored in the sense that the firewalls, they might be using older hardware and might be using maybe back door by design, so that the NSA, for example, can quietly and silently infiltrate and capture data, for example, [from] firewalls or Intel chips for example.
RMS: Its possible, and not just necessarily Intel chips because the Pentagon suspects that devices made by Huawei might have some back door of the Chinese government
Stallman has been trying to get people to avoid "Cloud" architectures for a while, though they are more of a security trade-off than a security problem simply.
dixiegrrrrl
(60,010 posts)and bless him for inventing teh Linux.
The very concept of cloud left me feeling..."uh...nooooo".
TY for the information....
hootinholler
(26,449 posts)He formed the notion of an independently written open source Unix like OS. He sort of abandoned that because at the time, Berkley Science Department wrote BSD Unix in a clean environment.
Now there is a lot we have to thank him for, one is open source software. Another is a recursive acronym: GNU - GNU is Not Unix. Then there's emacs, one of the best operating systems out there and a pretty good editor.
Recursion
(56,582 posts)And there's no Linux without GNU
hootinholler
(26,449 posts)Linux wasn't one of them. The notion that Linux wouldn't exist without the GNU project is farcical, Richard would tell you that himself.
I have a lot of respect for the man, he created a workable model for collaborative development from which many projects were inspired. The Free Software Foundation and the GPL filled a need at the time and continue to. People like Linus Torvalds and those that founded the Apache Foundation, Git and the Creative Commons, etc. have run with it, extending it in more limited versions which are more commercially friendly.
But the recursive acronym is a nice touch.
SecularMotion
(7,981 posts)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linus_Torvalds
RC
(25,592 posts)Why should I pay forever for something I can use for free on my own computer?
LisaLynne
(14,554 posts)Recursion
(56,582 posts)HiddenAgenda63
(36 posts)If it exits online, invariably it can and may be inappropriately hacked / viewed, at some point. I like the transparency and the fact that it makes it more difficult for governments or corporations to lie to citizens / customers, but I regret and often bemoan the fact that it can also be used by governments or corporations against citizens / customers. Everything has a disclaimer, privacy policy or EULA...I try not to activate anything proprietary, or show preferences that can be tracked, or sign up for almost anything...
dixiegrrrrl
(60,010 posts)regarding the interview, the site says, about the transcript of the interview:
"some parts were too incomprehensible due to low recording quality,"
which I should think is the last thing one would expect from a puter site when interviewing a computer genius...
Recursion
(56,582 posts)I saw him speak once at a conference. Great topic; couldn't understand a word he said.
Posteritatis
(18,807 posts)He spent about half the talk (and all of the Q&A) insulting the audience.
justiceischeap
(14,040 posts)storing my photography so I have an off-site back-up and to store important documents, like my renters' insurance policy, so I have an off-site back-up.
As bad as the NSA spying is, there are just some things I don't care if the government sees about me. I'm a pretty darn boring person who doesn't do too much illegally.
RC
(25,592 posts)They would apply that 6 points removed or whatever it is called now. We are all guilty now.
dixiegrrrrl
(60,010 posts)RC
(25,592 posts)I'm getting up in age enough that my head is getting full. I need to do some brain washing or cleaning or something.
dixiegrrrrl
(60,010 posts)RC
(25,592 posts)Not really funny though. It happened to my mother.