-- On 3 Feb 2005 at 22:25, Anonymous wrote:
Now, my personal perspective on this is that this is no real threat. It allows people who choose to use the capability to issue reasonably credible and convincing statements about their software configuration. Basically it allows people to tell the truth about their software in a convincing way. Anyone who is threatened by the ability of other people to tell the truth should take a hard look at his own ethical standards. Honesty is no threat to the world!
The only people endangered by this capability are those who want to be able to lie. They want to agree to contracts and user agreements that, for example, require them to observe DRM restrictions and copyright laws, but then they want the power to go back on their word, to dishonor their commitment, and to lie about their promises. An honest man is not affected by Trusted Computing; it would not change his behavior in any way, because he would be as bound by his word as by the TC software restrictions.
The ability to convincingly tell the truth is a very handy one between people who are roughly equal. It is a potentially disastrous one if one party can do violence with impunity to the one with the ability to convincingly tell the truth. --digsig James A. Donald 6YeGpsZR+nOTh/cGwvITnSR3TdzclVpR0+pr3YYQdkG 6B7i0tiB4vUHqQnAP6nXT2z+B+zLB8624+K6+ENU 47fFHg6cY0KInzxMe/l+L2c7LqmPZyrwOSZepYIR3