Hey, You, Get Off Of My 'Puter!


 


This is scary. Microsoft is aiding an Oklahoma State Senator to author a bill that would effectively allow Microsoft, or just about any other company that provides software, hardware, or internet service to scan your computer. THIS IS ABSOLUTE BULLSHIT!!!!!!!!

The authors of this bill claim that it is for our protection from "phishers", "spyware", and other unscrupulous people. By clicking on the User Agreement (that's the long legal junk that no one reads), you might be giving a company the right to check your computer for not only that kind of activity, but also any other illegal activity.

So, what's the big deal? If I'm not doing anything illegal what do I have to worry about. To me, that is not the point. I might as well have cameras all over my apartment, on every street corner, in my car, on the plane, just about anywhere and have the government monitor what I do, say, write, hell, even think. Maybe George Orwell was off by 100 years. Maybe "Big Brother" will be a true reality in 2084. We sure seem to be heading ever closer to that reality each year.

And don't think that you could just avoid this by using open source software. Unfortunately there is no way you could restrict yourself to just open source software on you computer. All it would take is one piece of commercial software with this kind of thing in it's User Agreement to be able to check for those illegal activities. Oh, and while everyone is concentrating on software, they are forgetting about the part of the bill that allows hardware manufacturers and internet service providers to do the same.

Don't believe me? Here is the link to the article:

The Watchers

Read the article. It's not very long. Let's hope that the Electronic Frontier Foundation keeps up it's excellent vigilance in these matters and shines a very bright light on this one. Be very afraid if it comes to your state.

Marz

Posted: Wednesday - April 12, 2006 at 10:43 PM          
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